<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/ncaa-basketball/illinois-basketball-news-meyers-leonard-feelings-11-tweet-thread-fighting-illini');   ga('set', 'title', 'Meyers Leonard gets all up in his feelings with 11-tweet thread on Illinois basketball');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Meyers-Leonard-1.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Terada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Meyers Leonard gets all up in his feelings with 11-tweet thread on Illinois basketball</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-01T15:13:38-07:00">April 1st, 3:13pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-01T15:48:42-07:00">April 1st, 3:48pm</time><address><a>Jaren Kawada</a>Jaren Kawada is a former full-time sports bettor and is now a NFL, College Football and Betting Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. Kawada was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, but now resides in Indianapolis, Indiana, after graduating from Butler University with a B.A. in sports media. Aside from football, Kawada is an avid combat sports and basketball bettor.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NCAA Basketball</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Like many former college basketball stars, Meyers Leonard is not a fan of how the game has changed. As a former <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/blazers-meyers-leonard-is-officially-a-college-student-again">lottery pick out of Illinois</a>, Leonard reflected on how his career went and how he feels the college basketball transfer portal does not allow for many similar journeys.</p><p>As the 2025 offseason once again revolved around the portal, Leonard felt inspired to <a href="https://x.com/MeyersLeonard/status/1905804676479570385" rel="noopener">share his personal story</a> with a series of tweets. The 10-year NBA veteran admitted he does not know what it is like to be paid as a college athlete but misses when he played solely because he “loved Illini basketball.”</p><p>“Now, I have absolutely no idea what the NIL is like, what a transfer portal is like, what it’s like to hire an agent and make so much money in college,” Leonard tweeted. “Because I didn’t experience it… But I will also say, I love that playing for the Illini was just about representing the state of Illinois, my hometown, etc.</p><p>“I wouldn’t have it any other way. Hell, I don’t know what I would’ve done with the money some of these guys are making. I simply loved Illini basketball.”</p><p>Leonard delved into the story of how he cried in the office of then-head coach Bruce Weber after averaging just 2.1 points per game as a freshman. Opening up about his vulnerability in his struggles to adjust to the physicality of the Big Ten, Leonard reflected on how Weber reinstalled confidence in him.</p><h2><b>Meyers Leonard criticizes college basketball transfer portal</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Meyers-Leonard-2.jpg"><figcaption>Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Looking back on his time in Champaign over a decade later, Leonard feels that Weber unlocked the potential that led to him being the No. 11 pick of the 2012 NBA Draft. The 33-year-old retired center believes similar experiences are few and far between with players now so eager to enter the college basketball transfer portal.</p><p>“I am SO grateful for my two years at University of Illinois,” Leonard continued. “What an awesome school… All in all — I’m not calling anybody out. I’m simply saying that I wish these young men would sometimes find it from deep within to be more loyal, to take accountability if they don’t play the way they know (and fans and coaches) they can play, and not just leave.”</p><p>Leonard has recently been nostalgic about his entire basketball career since he <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-news-meyers-leonard-announces-nba-retirement-with-new-song">officially announced his retirement</a> with the release of a country single. He confirmed his song “Good in Goodbye” was the first of many as he attempts a new career in music.</p><p>Leonard’s post comes after Illinois lost three players to the college basketball transfer portal within one week. Carey Booth became the first to enter the portal and was soon joined by Morez Johnson Jr. and Tre White.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Meyers Leonard gets all up in his feelings with 11-tweet thread on Illinois basketball

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/nba-news-meyers-leonard-announces-nba-retirement-with-new-song');   ga('set', 'title', 'Meyers Leonard announces NBA retirement with new country song');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/NBA-news-Meyers-Leonard-announces-basketball-retirement-with-new-song.jpg"></figure><h1>Meyers Leonard announces NBA retirement with new country song</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-03T10:13:21-08:00">March 3rd, 10:13am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-03T10:14:01-08:00">March 3rd, 10:14am</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Heat</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Many people might have assumed that Meyers Leonard was done playing in the NBA, considering it has been almost two years since he last took the court in an official capacity, but the former center decided to formally <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DGuK9dmOX0R/" rel="noopener">make the announcement</a> on Sunday night. And he did so in a heartfelt and creative manner.</p><p>Leonard, who spent seven seasons on the Portland Trail Blazers, a year and a half on the Miami Heat and a couple of months on the Milwaukee Bucks during his decade in The Association, bid farewell to the game with an original country song that he posted on social media. The melody, titled “Good in Goodbye,” chronicles his life and basketball career. He also included an official statement that expressed his gratitude.</p><p>“I knew after the Milwaukee season that I couldn’t play basketball anymore,” Leonard said, via Instagram. “It was the hardest decision I never had to make—because my body made it for me.</p><p>At first, I wasn’t planning to say anything. I figured people would assume as time passed. But what I’ve come to realize is that while my body told me to hang it up, my heart wasn’t ready. Learning to sing and songwrite has given me a chance to reflect on everything basketball has given me—and how every goodbye has led to something good.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="instagram-media"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DGuK9dmOX0R/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="display: flex;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div><div style="display: flex;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div><div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"><div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div><div style="display: flex; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div><div></div><div></div><div></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div><div></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"><div></div><div></div><div></div></div></div><div style="display: flex; margin-bottom: 24px;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div><p></p></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DGuK9dmOX0R/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Meyers Leonard (@meyersleonard)</a></p></div></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><h2><b>The highs and lows of Meyers Leonard</b></h2><p>Leonard capitalized on a standout sophomore campaign with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and was taken by the Trail Blazers with the No. 11 pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. Although he did not produce the impact often expected from a lottery selection, the seven-footer served as a key floor spacer. He posted 5.6 points and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 39.0 percent from 3-point range in 456 regular season games.</p><p>The 33-year-old reached the Western Conference Finals with Portland in 2019 and then competed in the NBA Finals the following year with the Heat. Everything changed soon after, however. While recovering from season-ending shoulder surgery in 2021, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/meyers-leonard-breaks-silence-on-anti-semitic-controversy-amid-quest-for-nba-return">Leonard used an antisemitic slur</a> during a game of Call of Duty that he was livestreaming on Twitch. He was suspended and fined $50,000 thousand.</p><p>Within the week, Miami traded the big man to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who promptly released him. He apologized and claimed to not know the heinous history behind the word at the time he said it. Leonard took his atonement much further, however. He met with a rabbi just two days after his transgression and quickly sought to rectify his ignorance.</p><p>Meyers Leonard has actively supported the Jewish community and spoken out against hate since uttering the slur. In the immediate aftermath of the incident, the public ridiculed him and threatened the well-being of his family. While he endured the mental anguish that comes from such backlash, Leonard was rehabbing shoulder and ankle injuries. An NBA return seemed unlikely.</p><h2><b>Leonard got a last hurrah with Bucks</b></h2><p>Through his efforts to seek forgiveness, along with a commitment to get back into playing shape, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/milwaukee-bucks/bucks-news-milwaukee-signs-controversial-meyers-leonard">Leonard signed a 10-day contract</a> with the Bucks in February of 2023. He suited up for the first time in more than two years and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/milwaukee-bucks/bucks-news-milwaukee-makes-huge-roster-decision-on-meyers-leonard">stayed with the squad</a> through the playoffs. Following the whole experience, this man is now ready to take the valuable lessons he learned and begin a new phase of his life.</p><p>Before Leonard officially does that, however, he is sending his appreciation to all those that helped him along his NBA journey.</p><p>“This song is a thank you—to basketball, the fans, my teammates, my family, the organizations, and everyone who believed in a young kid from Robinson, Illinois,” Leonard said. “I love and appreciate you more than you’ll ever know. Cheers to the next chapter.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Meyers Leonard announces NBA retirement with new country song

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bucks-news-milwaukee-real-reason-for-signing-meyers-leonard-revealed');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bucks’ real reason for signing Meyers Leonard, revealed');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Bucks-news-Milwaukee_s-real-reason-for-signing-Meyers-Leonard-revealed.jpg"></figure><h1>Bucks’ real reason for signing Meyers Leonard, revealed</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-02-20T17:53:48-08:00">February 20th, 5:53pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-02-20T17:53:48-08:00">February 20th, 5:53pm</time><address><a>Angelo Guinhawa</a>Angelo Guinhawa is a basketball and soccer/football editor/writer. He uses his background in digital marketing to make sure you get to read his work. He has previously worked for FOX Sports PH and a number of reputable sports media outlets. If he's not writing or watching sports, he's likely scouring online for his next NBA card purchase.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-milwaukee-signs-controversial-meyers-leonard" rel="noopener">Milwaukee Bucks’ decision</a> to sign big man Meyers Leonard to a 10-day contract came as a shock for some. After all, he hasn’t played in an NBA game for over two years now, with his failure to find a team closely linked to his controversial comments in the past.</p><p>Nonetheless, the Bucks have done their due diligence in assessing Leonard. Apparently, they have been keeping an eye on him for a long time now, assessing his condition and fit to the team. Not to mention that Milwaukee could really use some depth on the frontcourt behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez, especially with Serge Ibaka gone (traded at the deadline} and Bobby Portis still nursing a knee injury (MCL sprain).</p><p>“The Bucks <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/35703015/meyers-leonard-signing-10-day-deal-bucks-sources-say" rel="noopener">have been monitoring</a> Leonard’s progress for over a year and conducted a workout with him last month, sources said. Milwaukee had an open roster spot and wanted to bring in a big man with shooting ability and a playoff history. Leonard played 28 playoff games in his seven seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers,” Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported.</p><p>Meyers Leonard’s addition is certainly a low-risk, high-reward move for the Bucks. If they don’t like what he shows during his 10-day deal, they can easily let him walk away. If they need more time to assess him, they can simply give him another 10-day contract before making a decision whether to officially sign him or not.</p><p>Leonard has career averages of 5.6 points and 3.9 rebounds. While he’s no superstar, he remains a serviceable big man who can provide quality minutes if used right.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bucks’ real reason for signing Meyers Leonard, revealed

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/meyers-leonard-breaks-silence-on-anti-semitic-controversy-amid-quest-for-nba-return');   ga('set', 'title', 'Meyers Leonard breaks silence on anti-semitic controversy amid quest for NBA return');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Meyers-Leonard-breaks-silence-on-anti-semitic-controversy-amid-quest-for-NBA-return.jpeg"></figure><h1>Meyers Leonard breaks silence on anti-semitic controversy amid quest for NBA return</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-02-01T09:22:22-08:00">February 1st, 9:22am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-02-01T09:22:22-08:00">February 1st, 9:22am</time><address><a>R.P. Salao</a>ClutchPoints Senior Editor for NBA and NFL coverage. You can also find my work on SB Nation's Washington Wizards site, Bullets Forever.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Meyers Leonard hasn’t played an NBA game in over two years. His exile from the league came swiftly after uttering an anti-semitic slur during a video game live stream when he was still a member of the Miami Heat.</p><p>Fast-forward to 2023 and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-darvin-ham-on-meyers-leonard-demarcus-cousins" rel="noopener">Leonard is vying for another shot</a> at playing in the NBA. His combination of size and shooting ability have always made him a valuable role player on the court, but it’s his reputation that’s the bigger question mark as teams potentially weigh whether or not to give him a shot.</p><p>Leonard recently opened up in an interview with reporter Jeremy Schaap. An emotional Leonard gave “no excuses” for what he had done and <a href="https://twitter.com/JeremySchaap/status/1620796625810591745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1620796625810591745%7Ctwgr%5E43039f6366ec5ee2acff01870156b1c1779ac9b2%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwp.clutchpoints.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost-new.php" rel="noopener">detailed how his experience</a> has been in trying to learn from the moment since then.</p><p>Asked if he knew what the slur actually meant, he claims that despite using it during the live stream, he had zero understanding of where it came from. He asserted that it was just a term he picked up from others using it during online game communication.</p><p>“Absolutely not,” emphasized Meyers Leonard on whether he knew what the slur meant when he used it. “There are absolutely no excuses for what happened that day. Ignorance, sadly, is a very real thing – and that’s what I was. I’m not running from this, but I did not know that it happened. … I believe that over the years there’s less-than-ideal language used in a large portion of video gaming.”</p><p>At one point, Leonard was brought to tears when asked to relive what went through his mind during those moments, being traded away from the Heat and eventual cut with no NBA prospects left.</p><p>“That I felt like I had just destroyed my life and everything that I worked for, to be honest.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Our interview with <a href="https://twitter.com/MeyersLeonard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MeyersLeonard</a>, the former Portland and Miami center who is hoping to return to the NBA. Nearly two years ago, he used an antisemitic slur while playing Call of Duty on Twitch. A warning–this story includes offensive language. <a href="https://t.co/rWmt48Y8ID">pic.twitter.com/rWmt48Y8ID</a></p><p>— Jeremy Schaap (@JeremySchaap) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeremySchaap/status/1620796625810591745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2023</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Meyers Leonard has reportedly been active in trying to connect with the Jewish community in his area. In the interview, he detailed seeking the help of a Rabbi just days after the incident.</p><p>The circumstances may have been different, we’ve seen players bounce back from an anti-semitic controversy as recently as this year with Kyrie Irving. But the Nets star is a far superior talent on the court, one critical for Brooklyn’s success. The reality of it is he was getting another shot no matter what.</p><p>Whether Meyers Leonard is afforded that opportunity remains to be seen.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Meyers Leonard breaks silence on anti-semitic controversy amid quest for NBA return

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/lakers-news-darvin-ham-on-meyers-leonard-demarcus-cousins');   ga('set', 'title', 'Lakers coach Darvin Ham speaks out on Meyers Leonard, DeMarcus Cousins workouts');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Lakers-news-Darvin-Ham-speaks-out-on-Meyers-Leonard-DeMarcus-Cousins-workouts.jpg"></figure><h1>Lakers coach Darvin Ham speaks out on Meyers Leonard, DeMarcus Cousins workouts</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-01-14T13:43:25-08:00">January 14th, 1:43pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-01-14T13:43:25-08:00">January 14th, 1:43pm</time><address><a>Paolo Songco</a>A father of two over-energetic boys, Pao has been a writer for ClutchPoints for many years. His passion lies in all things NBA and he has a knack for speaking his mind in his articles -- even when at times it gets him into trouble with the fans. Controversial? Maybe. Excellent writer? Definitely.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Lakers could be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-demarcus-cousins-set-for-la-workout" rel="noopener">signing a new player</a> to their squad in the near future. It’s not going to be the landscape-shifting addition that so many fans have been clamoring for, though, as the Lakers seem to be looking for a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-nba-twitter-reacts-to-demarcus-cousins-meyers-leonard-getting-la-tryouts" rel="noopener">steady frontcourt player</a> that can help them with their current injury situation.</p><p>It was reported on Friday that LA worked out a couple of veteran big men that have been out of the NBA for quite some time. This came in the form of former four-time All-Star DeMarcus Cousins and Meyers Leonard. Lakers head coach Darvin Ham has now spoken out about the recent workouts, but the first-year shot-caller did not provide any details on LA’s current plans for the two centers:</p><p>“It went great,” Ham said. “We worked out Meyers Leonard and DeMarcus. They both looked great. Whether or not we are able to do something with them is a different story. We’re constantly trying to kick the tires on different scenarios, but the first order of business is to get our guys healthy. But definitely, we appreciate them for coming in. They both looked great.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Darvin Ham on the Lakers working out Meyers Leonard and DeMarcus Cousins on Friday <a href="https://t.co/m7MxLNLJVi">pic.twitter.com/m7MxLNLJVi</a></p><p>— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) <a href="https://twitter.com/mcten/status/1614361229254103040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2023</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Coach Ham isn’t giving us anything here. In fact, he even hinted that it’s possible that the Lakers opt not to sign either of these two. As he said, the most important thing for LA right now is to get their own players back to full strength. He did not name any names, but it is clear that the first man in mind has to be Anthony Davis. The Lakers can make all the moves they want, but at the end of the day, their success will rely heavily on AD’s return to action.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2022-23 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
4.8	3.8	0.1	-	0.2

2022-23 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
4.8	3.8	0.1	-	0.2

Meyers Leonard

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