Miami Jews Embrace NBA Player After Apology for Anti-Semitic Slur

A recent Shabbat dinner at Rabbi Pinny Andrusier’s home in Cooper City, Florida, was memorable for many reasons.

One was that the featured guest was 7 feet tall, towering over the dozens of kids in attendance — the adults, too. Another was that he was a player for South Florida’s favorite NBA team, the Miami Heat, JTA reported.

The guest was Meyers Leonard, who only a few days prior to the Friday-night meal on March 12 had sparked controversy for using an anti-Semitic slur while livestreaming a video game on Twitch.

The fallout was swift. Leonard was suspended from the Heat indefinitely and fined $50,000 by the NBA. Nine days later the team traded him to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who then waived him after the league’s trade deadline, making his future in the NBA uncertain. FaZe Clan, an esports company Leonard had invested in, also said it would “cut ties” with him over the slur.

Two days after using the slur, Leonard met with Andrusier, the rabbi at the Chabad of Southwest Broward in Cooper City, 18 miles from American Airlines Arena where the Heat play.

After hours of speaking with Leonard on the phone and meeting at his Chabad, Andrusier had an idea — he would invite him to Shabbat, JTA reported.

“My thinking was that it would be a good idea for him to come and eat and meet Holocaust survivors and to meet children who idolize him,” the rabbi said.

That Friday night, Leonard found himself seated with 30 people from the surrounding Jewish community. Leonard listened to people’s stories, spoke about the incident and took pictures with dozens of kids.

Andrusier was excited for Leonard to meet Michael Kaufman, who was born in a German displaced persons camp after both his parents managed to survive Auschwitz.

“As he told his story, the place was so quiet you could hear a pin drop,” Andrusier said. “Everyone, including Leonard, was crying.”

In the weeks following Leonard’s video game slur, he has spent over 30 hours learning with Andrusier and working with organizations in the community.

During Passover, Leonard teamed with Andrusier to deliver over 500 packages of matzah, wine and food to Holocaust survivors, older adults and families quarantined at home.

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