Heat’s Meyers Leonard fined the maximum, admonished by commissioner

The NBA announced Thursday that Miami Heat center Meyers Leonard has been fined $50,000 and suspended one week from all team activities.

The sanction, the largest fine allowed under the NBA’s current collective-bargaining agreement, comes after the 7-foot center was heard uttering an anti-Semitic slur while livestreaming video-game play on Monday.

The NBA also said Leonard will be required to participate in a cultural-diversity program.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued a stern rebuke in the NBA statement.

“Meyers Leonard’s comment was inexcusable and hurtful and such an offensive term has no place in the NBA or in our society,” he said. “[Wednesday], he spoke to representatives of the Anti-Defamation League to better understand the impact of his words and we accept that he is genuinely remorseful.

“We have further communicated to Meyers that derogatory comments like this will not be tolerated and that he will be expected to uphold the core values of our league — equality, tolerance, inclusion and respect — at all times moving forward.”

Leonard earns $9.4 million this season. The $50,000 fine is less punitive than had he been suspended, with the NBA’s formula calculating Leonard’s salary to $65,000 per game. The NBA had the ability to suspend Leonard for multiple games, but such suspensions, as well as all fines, can be appealed through the National Basketball Players Association.

Leonard is sidelined for the season after January shoulder surgery.

The Heat are expected to retain Leonard at least through the March 25 NBA trading deadline, to potentially utilize his 2020-21 salary in a deal. The Heat also hold a $10.2 million team option for Leonard next season.

Leonard has not commented on the slur other than a statement posted Tuesday on his Instagram account that read:

“I am deeply sorry for using an anti-Semitic slur during a livestream. While I didn’t know what the word meant at the time, my ignorance about its history and how offensive it is to the Jewish community is absolutely not an excuse and I was just wrong.

“I am now more aware of its meaning and I am committed to properly seeking out people who can help educate me about this type of hate and how we can fight it. I acknowledge and own my mistake and there’s no running from something like this that is so hurtful to someone else. This is not a proper representation of who I am.”

Because of the double-jeopardy ban in the collective-bargaining agreement, the Heat are prohibited from adding additional sanctions beyond the NBA penalties.

The $50,000 fine falls in line with several league sanctions for offensive slurs, including Dennis Rodman in 1997 for derogatory comments about Mormons, Joakim Noah in 2011 for anti-gay slur toward a fan, and Amar’e Stoudemire in 2012 for an anti-gay slur in a Twitter post.