NBA fines Heat’s Meyers Leonard $50,000 for anti-Semitic slur,
MIAMI >> The NBA has fined Meyers Leonard $50,000 and suspended him from all Miami Heat facilities and activities for one week, in response to his use of an anti-Semitic term.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced the sanctions Thursday, two days after the video began circulating on social media.
“Meyers Leonard’s comment was inexcusable and hurtful and such an offensive term has no place in the NBA or in our society,” Silver said.
Leonard apologized for using the term, insisting he did not know what it meant when he used it Monday. The Heat learned of the matter Tuesday, and Leonard’s future with the team is now in serious doubt. He will not play again this season because of a shoulder injury.
Silver said Leonard spoke Wednesday “to representatives of the AntiDefamation League to better understand the impact of his words and we accept that he is genuinely remorseful.”
Pro football
CULLEY ON POSSIBLE WATSON TRADE: ‘HE IS OUR QUARTERBACK’ >> New Houston Texans coach David Culley reiterated that the team has no intention of trading Deshaun Watson despite the star quarterback’s request to be dealt.
Culley, hired in January
to replace Bill O’Brien, was asked more than a halfdozen times about Watson’s future with the team. Every time he made it clear he expects Watson to lead his team this season.
“We are very committed to Deshaun as our quarterback,” Culley said. “He is our quarterback. He’s the only guy we got under contract at this time right now.”
Golf
BIG FINISH SENDS GARCIA TO LEAD AT PLAYERS >> Sergio Garcia fired off a 7-under 65, capped off by a birdiebirdie-eagle finish for a two-shot lead over Brian Harman in The Players
Championship.
When darkness brought the first round to a halt — 21 players didn’t finish — there already were 13 scores of 80 or higher. That included Henrik Stenson with an 85, his highest score ever on the PGA Tour.
Baseball
MINOR LEAGUES EXPERIMENTING
WITH NEW RULES >> Major League Baseball will experiment with several rule changes in the minor leagues this season, including an automated strike zone, restrictions on defensive positioning and larger bases.
The league
said
in
a
statement the “changes being tested are designed to increase action on the basepaths, create more balls in play, improve the pace and length of games, and reduce player injuries.”
Infielders at Double-A will have to keep both feet in the infield at the start of every play.
Triple-A is getting larger bases, expanding first, second and third from 15 by 15 inches to 18 by 18. MLB said it hopes to reduce player injuries and collisions, and also that the shortened distance between bases should “have a modest impact” increasing stolen bases and infield hits.