FaZe cut ties with NBA pro Meyers Leonard over anti-Semitic slur and Twitch ban

Miami Heat NBA pro and FaZe investor Meyers Leonard is facing backlash after uttering an anti-Semitic slur during a game of Call of Duty Warzone on Twitch.

On March 8, the 29-year-old power forward was streaming Warzone on his Twitch channel, playing alongside notable names such as Mason ‘Symfuhny’ Lanier and retired COD pro Tyler ‘TeePee’ Polchow. He then got frustrated when dealing with a sniper.

“Don’t be a f**king coward. Don’t f**king snipe me, you f**king… **** b*tch,” the NBA pro said.

Later on in the broadcast, Meyers received a phone call allegedly from his wife, causing him to end the stream early.

•  Read More: Cloakzy officially parts ways with FaZe Clan after contract dispute

“Yo, my wife needs me, she just called me,” Meyers told his chat and teammates. “I gotta roll, brother. GGs.”

It’s unclear if the phone call was actually from his wife or someone within his organization wanting him to end the stream. The VOD has since been deleted, but clips of the incident have been shared across social media.

https://twitter.com/wassupharold/status/1369363385595346944?s=21

While Leonard, the Heat, and Twitch have yet to respond, TeeP has since apologized for laughing at the remark, writing he was “being ignorant to what the word means and its impact. Not okay.”

•  Read More: Pokimane reacts to controversial Burger King tweet

FaZe Clan cuts ties with Leonard

The slur has already landed Leonard in some hot water. FaZe issued a statement condemning his comments and cut ties with him.

Elsewhere, Origin PC dropped him as an official sponsor. “A comment was recently made by Meyers Leonard that does not reflect the values or views of ORIGIN PC. We have decided to cease our working relationship with Meyers as we look into it further,” they said.

Additionally, SCUF also decided to end their relationship with Meyers, issuing an identical tweet to the one made by ORIGIN.

Leonard issues a statement in wake of criticism

A few hours later, Leonard issued an apology, which was quickly posted and circulated on social media. In his statement, Leonard claimed that he did not know what the slur meant, and is “committed to properly seeking out people who can educate me about this type of hate and how we can fight it.”

Astro Gaming drops Meyers Leonard

Astro Gaming has also dropped Leonard in wake of the controversy, publishing a statement on the subject in a tweet shortly after the NBA pro’s apology went live.

Twitch bans Meyers Leonard

As perhaps the final chapter in this, Twitch has finally laid down the ban hammer on Meyers Leonard. The NBA star’s account on the platform has been banned, although has maintained its partner status, according to ‘StreamerBans’.

Twitch hasn’t given a statement on the ban. The platform typically doesn’t comment on individual suspensions.