The only player with Jonathan Isaac of the Magic not to have knelt during the anthem during the playoffs, Meyers Leonard is paying a heavy price. Marked, he wanted to react.
The ritual is rooted in NBA players, such as the traditional battle cry or the passage to the scorer’s table to wipe their feet: since the season resumed in the bubble, everyone kneels during the anthem American. Everyone… or almost.
Meyers Leonard is indeed one of the extremely rare people present at Disney World who has not made this symbolic gesture. The reason ? His brother is enlisted in the US military, and for the kingpin, staying upright is a sign of respect for his brother’s commitment to the homeland.
To clear up any misunderstanding, Leonard had explained his position in the Heat’s locker room before the first game, and his teammates had accepted it without a problem. We also see in the photo that Udonis Haslem like Jimmy Butler, on both sides of him, embrace him with their arms.
Problem: Internet users were not so lenient, and several of them showed a lot of animosity, not to say hatred, towards the interior. Touched, he wanted to react to the microphone of The Undefeated:
“After Game 1 of the NBA Finals, I was shocked to see that my name was trending on Twitter. Some of the things that I heard after Game 1 were very hurtful. People calling me a racist . . . It’s unfortunate because I want everyone to like me.”
-Meyers Leonard
(Via @TheUndefeated) pic.twitter.com/JxF0fz7zjJ— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) October 6, 2020
After Game 1 of the NBA Finals, I was shocked to see that my name was trending on Twitter. Some of the things I heard after that game were hugely hurtful. People called me a racist… It’s very unfortunate, because I like to be loved.
There is no doubt that the treatment inflicted by some on Leonard is excessive. Those who know him agree on his great human quality, and on his support for the Black Lives Matter movement. As sometimes happens, social networks are in excess, and we can only regret it.
Meyers Leonard has to deal with a problem that would have gone well. Let him stay focused on his job: every player will count if the Heat is to achieve a historic feat and overthrow LA.
