Meyers Leonard's recent use of an anti-Semitic slur caught the attention of one of sports' most prominent Jewish athletes, New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman.
The three-time Super Bowl champion issued an open letter on Wednesday, offering his perspective to the Miami Heat center and inviting him to meet in the future.
An open letter to @MeyersLeonard pic.twitter.com/bJcoupfbur
— Julian Edelman (@Edelman11) March 10, 2021
Shabbat is the weekly event that marks Judaism's day of rest.
Leonard, who's out for the season due to a shoulder injury, will be away from the Heat indefinitely while the NBA conducts an investigation into the remarks he made while live-streaming a video game.
"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," Leonard wrote in an apology Tuesday evening.
This is the second time in the past year Edelman has extended an olive branch to a fellow athlete who used anti-Semitic language. In July, the 34-year-old released a video responding to hateful quotes posted by Philadelphia Eagles wideout DeSean Jackson.
"I know he said some ugly things," Edelman said of Jackson. "But I do see an opportunity to have a conversation."
He added that he hoped his fellow NFL player would join him for a tour of Washington's Holocaust Memorial Museum.
