Heat's Meyers Leonard will participate in gaming tournament to raise money for coronavirus victims
Miami Heat forward Meyers Leonard has always claimed he is more than just a basketball player.
It says so at the top of Twitter profile.
"Basketball is what I do," it reads. "It's not who I am."
So without basketball, Leonard has had no problem keeping busy. On Sunday, he proclaimed himself as the best video gamer in the league. Wearing a headset and after finishing up a round of the popular Call of Duty game, he posted, "Heard it here first. Best gamer in the NBA."
Leonard, who has missed the last 16 games because of a foot injury, is probably right. He is considered one of the top gamers in the industry. From COD to Fortnite, he logs dozens of hours on the joysticks during his down time. He has been a member of Faze Clan, a professional eSports organization, since last summer. He streams most of his performances on Twitch, building an even bigger fan base than his basketball following. Many of his 147,000 Twitter followers are from the gaming community, which is why he chose that route to help victims of the coronavirus threat.
On Monday afternoon, he will participate in a celebrity Call of Duty tournament with other high-profile gamers to help raise money for the cause. The NBA is among the professional sports leagues that have postponed their seasons during the crisis. As of Sunday, there were 3,244 cases and 61 coronavirus-related deaths in the United States. The worldwide death total has surpassed 6,500.
