History of Meyers Leonard in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: February 26, 2025

Meyers Leonard is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the University of Illinois before being drafted 11th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2012, where he spent seven seasons. Leonard was then traded to the Miami Heat in 2019, reaching the NBA Finals in 2020. He last played for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

February 27, 1992: Meyers Leonard's Birth

On February 27, 1992, Meyers Patrick Leonard was born. He is an American professional basketball player.

2010: Illinois All-State Team

In 2010, Leonard was named a member of the Illinois All-State Team as selected by multiple news outlets.

2010: Freshman at the University of Illinois

In 2010, Meyers Leonard became a freshman at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He averaged 2.1 points and 1.2 rebounds per game.

2010: Relationships

In 2010, Their first date was five hours long at the University of Illinois gym.

July 10, 2011: FIBA U19 World Championships

On July 10, 2011, Meyers Leonard and Team USA placed fifth in the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championships in Latvia.

December 5, 2011: Big Ten Co-Player of the Week

On December 5, 2011, Leonard was named Big Ten Co-Player of the Week after averaging 16.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in two Illinois victories.

December 26, 2011: Big Ten Player of the Week

On December 26, 2011, Leonard was named Big Ten Player of the Week after averaging 16.5 points and 14.5 rebounds per game in two games.

2011: Relationships

In 2011, Leonard hosted Max Bielfeldt during his February 26 and 27 official visit and met Max's sister Elle for the first time.

October 31, 2012: NBA Debut

On October 31, 2012, Leonard made his NBA debut, logging 23 minutes and scoring four points against the Los Angeles Lakers.

November 21, 2012: First Career Start

On November 21, 2012, Leonard made his first career start against the Phoenix Suns, finishing with 12 points and 5 rebounds.

2012: Drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers

In 2012, Meyers Leonard was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 11th overall pick in the NBA draft.

March 30, 2013: Season-Best Game

On March 30, 2013, Leonard had a season-best game with 22 points and 10 rebounds in a loss to the Golden State Warriors.

2013: Less playing time

In 2013, Leonard saw action in 29 fewer games, with his minutes and points per game cut in half.

January 2, 2014: Season-Best Game

On January 2, 2014, Leonard had a season-best game with 8 points and 10 rebounds in a 134–104 win over the Charlotte Bobcats.

May 25, 2014: Proposed to Elle

On May 25, 2014, Leonard proposed marriage to Elle, his long-time girlfriend, who accepted.

November 15, 2014: Start at Power Forward

On November 15, 2014, with LaMarcus Aldridge scratched, Leonard started at power forward, playing 29 minutes and tallying 12 rebounds and hitting a three-pointer against the Brooklyn Nets.

August 2015: Married Elle

In August 2015, Meyers Leonard married Elle.

December 1, 2015: Season-High 23 Points

On December 1, 2015, Leonard scored a season-high 23 points in a loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

March 24, 2016: Ruled Out for the Season

On March 24, 2016, Leonard was ruled out for the rest of the season after injuring his left shoulder, requiring surgery.

July 10, 2016: Re-signed with the Trail Blazers

On July 10, 2016, Leonard re-signed with the Trail Blazers on a four-year, $41 million contract.

October 8, 2016: Cleared for Practice

On October 8, 2016, Leonard was cleared for all practice activities, six months after undergoing surgery on his left shoulder.

December 23, 2016: Season-High 16 Points

On December 23, 2016, Leonard scored a season-high 16 points off the bench in a 110–90 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

April 2019: Invested in FaZe Clan

In April 2019, Leonard invested in FaZe Clan as a content creator.

May 20, 2019: Career-High 30 Points

On May 20, 2019, in game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, Leonard recorded a career-high 30 points and 12 rebounds in a 119–117 overtime loss to the Golden State Warriors.

July 6, 2019: Traded to the Miami Heat

On July 6, 2019, Leonard was traded to the Miami Heat in a four-team trade.

2019: Traded to the Miami Heat

In 2019, Meyers Leonard was traded to the Miami Heat after spending his first seven seasons with the Trail Blazers.

November 22, 2020: Re-signed with the Miami Heat

On November 22, 2020, the Miami Heat announced that they had re-signed with Leonard.

2020: Death of brother

In 2020, Christian Juracich, Meyers Leonard's brother, died.

2020: Reached the NBA Finals

In 2020, Meyers Leonard reached the NBA Finals with the Miami Heat.

February 2, 2021: Shoulder Surgery

On February 2, 2021, it was reported that Leonard had undergone shoulder surgery and would miss the remainder of the 2020–21 season.

March 9, 2021: Suspended by the Heat and NBA

On March 9, 2021, the Heat announced that Leonard would be suspended indefinitely while the NBA conducted an investigation into his use of an anti-Semitic slur during a Twitch video game livestream session. The NBA suspended him for one week and fined him $50,000.

March 17, 2021: Traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder

On March 17, 2021, Leonard was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder with a 2027 second-round pick for Trevor Ariza. The Thunder stated that Leonard would not be joining the team or participating in any basketball activities.

April 2021: Ankle Surgery

In April 2021, Leonard underwent an ankle surgery and was found to have nerve damage within the bottom half of his right leg.

June 7, 2022: Birth of son Liam Walter Leonard

On June 7, 2022, Liam Walter Leonard, the son of Elle and Meyers Leonard was born.

January 13, 2023: Workout with the Los Angeles Lakers

On January 13, 2023, the Los Angeles Lakers hosted Leonard for a workout, which was the first publicized activity of his attempted NBA comeback after his anti-Semitism controversy.