Heat's Meyers Leonard supportive of black players using their platform to fight social justice issues
Miami Heat center Meyers Leonard is among the several white NBA players to express their support of black players using their platforms to fight against social injustice.
Leonard said he had no issue with LeBron James and other players who plan to use the restart of the season to speak on issues such as racism and police brutality.
"There is a great opportunity to use the platform for the Black Lives Matter movement," Leonard said. "... If we can show unity in that and then use our powerful voices and social platforms and the NBA platforms and everyone's platform and just say, `Hey, this is what we're about. We're standing for what's right and let's do this together.' Genius. I do think there's real opportunity."
Leonard has been among the white players to speak on the death of George Floyd. In May, Floyd, who was black, died after being in custody of four Minneapolis police officers. The incident sparked protests across the world.
"I'll quickly state that white privilege, again as I already have, is certainly very real," Leonard said. "Although I grew up poor as hell with nothing, I still have white privilege, period. That's just what it is. I've never walked to the grocery store and feared for my life. Let me tell you this. When I heard a teammate of mine say that he was worried about raising his daughter, that made me think. If I had kids and I was going through that, I would be so goddamn mad. I wouldn't be able to control myself ... I truly couldn't imagine if I had to sit my kids down and explain certain things just because the color of their skin. That is incredibly wrong. I will do my best to stand for what's right and what I know to be the truth."
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