NBA Player Jaden Ivey Waived by Bulls After Criticizing Pride Month
“The world proclaims LGBTQ, right? They proclaim Pride Month—and the NBA does too. They show it to the world. They say, ‘Come join us for Pride Month, to celebrate unrighteousness.”
The Chicago Bulls have waived guard Jaden Ivey after he made remarks during a social media livestream criticizing the NBA’s promotion of Pride Month and expressing his Christian beliefs.
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) March 30, 2026
In its official announcement, the Bulls stated that Ivey was released for “conduct detrimental to the team.” During the livestream, Ivey said that the NBA “proclaims Pride Month… to celebrate unrighteousness.” That comment quickly sparked backlash online and appears to have prompted the team’s decision.
Jaden Ivey calls out the NBA for celebrating Pride Month
“The world proclaims LGBTQ, right? They proclaim Pride Month—and the NBA does too. They show it to the world. They say, ‘Come join us for Pride Month, to celebrate unrighteousness.”
(@esidery)
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 30, 2026
Head coach Billy Donovan addressed the decision, explaining:
“But I think organizationally there’s certain standards we want to have as an organization and try and live up to those each and every day.”
Billy Donovan explains the Bulls cutting Jaden Ivey after the guard posted a homophobic video today.
“Organizationally, there’s certain standards I think we want to have as an organization and live up to those each and every day.” pic.twitter.com/uodtclRUe2
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) March 30, 2026
Ivey’s departure comes during what has already been a difficult stretch in his professional career. Acquired from the Detroit Pistons in a midseason trade, he appeared in only a handful of games before being sidelined with a knee injury. He had already been ruled out for the remainder of the season, meaning he was not actively playing at the time of his release.
That context makes the decision notable. Ivey was once one of the most highly regarded young players in the country. He starred at the high school level and went on to become a standout at Purdue Boilermakers, where his athleticism and scoring ability made him a top NBA Draft pick.
His transition to the NBA, however, has not followed the same trajectory. Injuries and inconsistency have prevented him from gaining a firm foothold in the league. In recent months, Ivey has increasingly spoken about turning to his Christian faith amid those struggles, often framing both his challenges and his outlook through that perspective.
That backdrop matters. The comments that led to his release were not made in the context of trash talk or team conflict, but during a personal livestream discussing religion and morality. Whether one agrees with his views or not, they were plainly rooted in a religious worldview that is shared by many Americans.
The National Basketball Association, for its part, has taken an increasingly active role in promoting social causes, including Pride Month initiatives across the league. Ivey’s remarks directly challenged that messaging, placing him at odds with both the league and his team.
#HappyPride pic.twitter.com/6aof7wPD4Z
— NBA Cares (@nbacares) June 1, 2025
Following his release, Ivey questioned the decision, asking what exactly he had done that was “detrimental” to the team. The answer, at least implicitly, appears to be that expressing certain views—particularly those grounded in traditional religious beliefs—can carry professional consequences in today’s sports environment.
This episode highlights a broader cultural tension that extends well beyond basketball. Professional athletes are frequently encouraged to speak out and use their platforms. But the reaction to Ivey suggests that not all viewpoints are treated equally. When speech aligns with prevailing institutional priorities, it is celebrated. When it does not, it can be punished.
For now, a former top-five pick—once among the most promising players in the country—is without a team. The question is whether his next opportunity will depend more on his performance on the court, or his willingness to remain silent off of it.
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Comments
The notion of a pride month is just stupid. Still how stupid can you be to make a statement against when you know how woke your business is. Just keep your mouth shut, stay off social media, and stick to dribbling.
That sounds like stifling religious expression.
Which is exactly what the Progressives are after.
It’s the same with all of us. Our bosses don’t care and probably don’t want to know what our opinions are and rightly so.
Then maybe our bosses should stay of our social media. And what about all the athletes pushing the lgbtqiamnuts agenda should be let go. The hippocracy of the situation is ridiculous!
What I said goes for anything political. If you are recognizably associated with my business then say nothing on any topic. Don’t like that policy? Work elsewhere. And I don’t care what that topic is.
As for the bosses they should shutup as well. If they don’t, well it is their company after all and if they want to deep6 because they offended part of their customer base – that’s a bold strategy cotton – it’s their company after all.
When Michael Jordan was asked why he never commented on issues (he probably does not) what he said was that Republicans buy shoes too. He’s smarter than I originally thought.
He has every right to say what he did. He may have a legitimate civil rights suit against the NBA. He has standing and can show damages. Have you ever looked around and noticed in sports, schools, industry and government the are association s , club or groups specific to so called protected minority groups. Often subsidized by that employer, but among all of those groups there is not one recognized CIS Gender white male group. And if you were a white ale employee and requested a white male group, you would be fired or threatened with termination if you didn’t drop it. In my career field there were subsidized associations for Blacks, Hispanics, and women. I don’t recall at the time if there was an association for Asians, native Americans, Pacific Islanders, etc. But that was 50 years ago. There was no such association allowed for caucasian males. I doubt if that has changed. The groups were subsidized by the federal government including travel expenses and time credited to work hours. These were racially and sexually segregated groups. No white males need apply. I doubt that has changed any over the years.
No it’s common sense. It has nothing to do with religious expression, I don’t want anyone making any political comments when they are recognizably associated with my company. They are going to offend someone no matter what they say. This is regardless of the source of the political comments.
Do you notice a certain group is missing from dedicated months, weeks and days. No CIS white male day, week or month. Does that constitute racial discrimination? Many years ago I pointed that out to my employer. The response was rather negative career wise if I didn’t. Shut up!
I hate all the days and month celebrations. It’s gotten completely out of control. I also don’t like MLK and juneteenth. You have a MLK day but no day for Washington. Absurd. This is nothing against MLK or some of what he said, It’s just pandering and meaningless pandering at that.
To know who has power over you, figure out who or what you are not allowed to criticize.
The Pro Leagues and Franchises are lost on the cultural front. When lines are drawn and the public is forced to choose many will abandon them.
Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s true
Well ‘many’ doesn’t mean ‘all’ or even ‘most’. More than a few for sure and probably more than the pro leagues want to admit in public.
It isn’t just ‘pride month’ Consider the leagues stance on ‘BLM’, ‘LGBTQ’ but especially their embrace of tranny, their refusal to buck the ChiCom gov’t and the factory slave system not to mention Tibet and the Uyghurs. Attending an NFL game is pretty outrageous, costs for concessions alone it puts it out of reach of average fans. Lastly add the growing number of pro league games moved off ‘free’ broadcast TV to different subscription streaming services making games harder to find and more expensive to view.
At bottom pro leagues are but one entertainment option among a huge universe of lower priced options which don’t jam tranny nonsense at their audience.
They don’t care much for thee American consumers, they are going for the international money
Hence the idiot nasty bunny halftime show in Spanish
When they tell you who they are, and yet , Americans still watched by the millions upon millions
I was a rabid Green Bay Packers fan, growing up in Wisconsin, even met the onetime greats, Lombardi, Bart Starr, as a young teen
He is rolling in his grave, both of them actually
I didn’t watch
Definitely going for international money, though at risk of alienating the core fanbase. As you correctly point out the leagues are telling us who they are. IMO that drift to lefty woke nonsense is gradually eroding their support. The leagues have all sorts of exemptions granted by Congress and by individual States that allow them to operate in the current model. PO enough voters and those exemptions may get revoked.
Chicago Bulls canned Jaden Ivey after he made remarks criticizing Pride Month
Conclusion: Chicago is a bunch of Bull
Shit.. fixed it for you
Is any reporter going to meet Adam Silver (NBA Commissioner) on the sidewalk? Fox News seems completely unmotivated.
Some 30 years ago I was an IT Project Manager with a technician who’s wife was the executive assistant. One of her duties was to maintain the corporate box seats at the arena. Anytime there was an event and all the box seats were not being used she would call to see if anyone wanted to go. I got to see entire Hockey seasons, circus’, and other events. I saw one basketball game. It was semi-organized insanity. Never went back.
Who watches the NuttyBasketballAlliance….
Stand up for your values and pay the price…
Not since Bird and Magic retired.
As for standing up for your values:
1) Smart never to burn a bridge because it’s a small world.
2) Most of us are not independently wealthy and need our job at least until we find the next one,
That’s okay. I cut the entire NBA many years ago.
The game is boring and one-dimensional to begin with, and far too many players are entitled jerks.
Agreed. NBA is boring. First team score 100 points wins. No defense. College ball is more fun and challenging.
I can’t watch college basketball, either.
It’s boring, too, and all the “March Maaaaaaaadness” hype doesn’t help.
Basketball, regardless of the league, is in desperate need of something to break up the monotony of game play.
I’d suggest a change to the foul system. Instead of a player fouling out, he would be allowed to return to the game after exceeding the maximum number of fouls. However, every subsequent foul he commits would result in a power play, similar to hockey’s, with the offending team being shorthanded for two minutes.
It used to be more fun before NIL, the transfer portal, and players playing one one year before jumping to the NBA.
Definitely a religious discrimination case – “hostile work environment” followed by retaliation. Professor, this sounds like a great case for the LI Foundation to weigh in on.
No – no one has to give you a contract. I’m fine with that.
However, what I don’t understand is how much of the Chicago Bulls audience is gay, or even is actively pro-gay that they would stop watching because of the team having a player who isn’t actively pro-gay?
It just seems so odd to me that the NBA and the NFL care -at all – particularly noting their forgiving stance towards felons.
Well, if they toss you expressly because you express a religious conviction, it is, in fact, religious discrimination. That’s current law. You can disagree with the law, but this is absolutely in violation of it.
NBA: ‘Conduct detrimental to the team’
Everyone else: Conduct? To express 2000 y.o. Christian doctrine? This man’s personal religious belief? Freedom of speech apart from his role with Da Bulls?
NBA: Yes. He must be tolerant, and affirm bvtts3x at the expense of his own personal religious belief because we will not tolerate it.
WE CAN’T SHARE A COUNTRY WITH THIS, PEOPLE.
Now, if he had donned a unform jersey and done this video in the locker room (with evidence that it was company property in the shot), they might be able to claim it wasn’t just his opinion and protected.
I read an article he was “detrimental” to the locker room , insinuating he was “preaching “ to team members.
well thats a bunch of bulll……
This is confusing. First the white man tells him to abandon his heathen ways and accept Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. Then having done that, he is told to forget all that jazz, and worship perverts who bugger each other in gas station restrooms.
I was watching the NCAA’s this weekend, a rare occurrence, and I noticed that the rule about ‘walking’ is really no longer enforced. One of the many reasons I’ve abandoned watching basketball.
Most rules aren’t. Palming is another for example.
Couple of things….
1) Ivey has since issued another statement:
“They’re liars, bro. This is lying,” Ivey said during the Instagram Live, which appeared to be taking place while he was boarding a flight. “They’re lying saying my conduct is detrimental to the team. That’s a lie. Ask any one of them coaches in there, ‘Was I a good teammate?’ All I’m preaching about is Jesus Christ and they waived me. They say I’m crazy, right? I’m psycho.”
2) NFLPatriots star running back TreVeyon Henderson has come out in support of Ivey. That has prompted a response from Patriot head coach Mike Vrabel:
“I want to tell you, I love TreVeyon,” Vrabel said at the NFL Annual Meeting. “I love the person. He cares deeply about our team. He cares deeply about his faith. He cares deeply about his family, his wife, the people in our building. And so I want them to be able to express what they believe in their heart(s) and in their mind(s), but also (I) want to make sure that they’re educated. And we want to be inclusive. Everything we want to do (is) to provide an environment for people to want to feel comfortable, but also to share their personal beliefs. And then also, we represent the team. And we represent the organization.”
3) Ivey’s comments are being described as a “rant” across multiple platforms and media. A “rant” is defined as to complain loudly, angrily, or unreasonably.
It is difficult to see Ivey’s comments as being “loud, angry or unreasonable.”
It would appear that the term “rant” is being used to say that Ivey is somehow “unhinged,” or “out of control” rather than a man who expressed an opinion (or statement of his faith) in a calm manner.
4) Where is the NBA Player’s Union in this? They have spoken up for players in other controversial subjects and filed grievances when clubs have issued discipline against players that are outside of the collective bargaining agreement.
And we want to be inclusive.
And that right there is where he has made a religious requirement for employment. “Inclusiveness” is a religious doctrine of Progressivism, counter to Ivey’s religion. And you’re requiring your employees to endorse your religious doctrine.
No, he hasn’t.
The other issue is that Ivey’s own beliefs (that of Christianity) is accepting of all people and where they are in their lives right now.
There is a difference between acceptance of the person and acceptance of sin.
The Rainbow banner and rhetoric is albinophobic.
The transgender spectrum (e.g. homosexual orientation) has no redeeming value to society or humanity.
Pride parades take place on the African plain with lions, lionesses, and their unPlanned cubs playing in gay abandon.
That said, diversity of individuals, minority of one. #HateLovesAbortion
Kudos to Mr. Ivey for having the courage to speak forthrightly and defend his faith and the morality which was universal in our culture until ~ 50 years ago! However, it seems that he’s not a good fit for the woke NBA. Perhaps he would do better to play in a more conservative league in another country, or maybe change careers completely.
It would be nice if he could take legal action to protect his rights, but I think our country and our legal system have been too corrupted for him to win.
I took a look at the EEOC’s website’s page on religious discrimination, and right away I’m seeing:
“Religious discrimination involves treating a person (an applicant or employee) unfavorably because of his or her religious beliefs. ”
“The law forbids discrimination when it comes to any aspect of employment, including hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoff, training, fringe benefits, and any other term or condition of employment.”
So, here, this player is merely stating that he disagrees with the NBA celebrating “Pride Month” and he makes it clear that he believes (correctly) that this is contrary to the teachings of Christianity.
And he is fired for it. And his employer didn’t even pretend to find some other reason for it.
So, yeah, I think he should sue.
And I also think the EEOC should be taking a hard look not only at this team, but the NBA in general. A player on another team (Dallas, I think) was just asked in a press conference about a religious message on a sweatshirt he was wearing after a game. He cited Ivey getting fired and refused to talk about it.
This goes way beyond the NBA also. Employment in every large company nationwide has the same issue. If you are a Christian and you express your faith based views on homosexual on social media, you’ll be lucky to keep your job. At a minimum, your odds of advancing your career vaporized.
And all of this clearly in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits employers with 15 or more employees from discriminating based on religion in hiring, firing, promotions, or terms of employment.
The problem is that the Progressives will say, “But inclusiveness isn’t a religious doctrine.” Because they worship their own minds (Reason!) they will say they are entirely without religious prejudice. And they have successfully indoctrinated the West into believing that. “I’m just using Reason instead of following some mythical sky god, so all of MY beliefs are NOT ‘religious.'”
100% of the nonsense that progressives believe needs to be permanently thrown in the dumpster, with solid legal victories in federal courts, and set on fire.
He’s about to be a great teammate of Enes Kanter Freedom.
Can’t upset the muzzies or the gays
Apparently being black is no longer a card one can play
Statistics from Pew Research Center show that Christianity and Islam are persecuted in more countries around the world than other religions.
Considering what happen in history this coming Sunday , Jaden has it easy.
I’m glad to see the NHL has dropped this nonsense. They were starting to get pushback from the players and in the era of Orange Man 2.0 felt free to drop the virtue signalling.
File a religious discrimination lawsuit.
Give him a religious freedom award.
Form a religious freedom union for NBA players and workers.
They didn’t cut this player because of what he said, they cut him because he has no economic value to the team.
Now if Curry, Jokic or Durant came out against LGBTQ madness it would be a different story but they know that coming out against the wishes of their masters would cost….oh $54 million or so.
The problem of being right too soon. I think Pride month is stupid, not really something to celebrate. Pie month would be better and more socially adhesive.
I didn’t know who he was, but have a strange urge to buy one of his shirts.
Keep sports about sports, it wasn’t the player that made a political statement, it was the team.
Jaden Ivey’s unpardonable sin was upsetting the Pink Mafia, who are extreme roundball fans, all. Perhaps the Bulls should consider changing their team name to the Chicago Cattle, you know, to be more inclusive. Their move against Ivey likely hurt their public standing more than anything he said, but classic stupidity is hurting yourself more with malign kinetic idiocy than your target.
The NBA (and others like them) are displaying themselves as the “holier than thou” types of intolerant lefties.
I;m thinking that the whole notion of the NBA getting involved in woke causes stems from BLM and the players, a couple of coaches I despise, and more importantly TV which is where the league makes a ton of money. The TV networks are woke and probably want the NBA and other teams to express that as well.
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