Outrage Explodes After NBA Team Waives Star Player For Espousing Christian Views

The Chicago Bulls waived guard Jaden Ivey on Monday after a series of social media videos in which the former lottery pick criticized the NBA’s Pride Month messaging and delivered blunt takes on religion.

The team announced the move was for conduct detrimental to the club.

Ivey’s latest post surfaced Monday morning, when he blasted the league for celebrating Pride Month and called it “unrighteousness.”

“The world can proclaim LGBTQ, right?” Ivey said in the video. “They proclaim Pride Month and the NBA. They proclaim it. They show it to the world. They say, ‘Come join us for Pride Month to celebrate unrighteousness.’ They proclaim it. They proclaim it on the billboards. They proclaim in the streets. Unrighteousness. So, how is it that one can’t speak righteousness? Who are they to say that this man is crazy?”

Ivey has posted similar rant-style videos in recent weeks. The 24-year-old has also previously noted he deals with depression.

In another video, Ivey called Catholicism a “false religion,” a remark that drew attention because his mother, Niele Ivey, is the head women’s basketball coach at Notre Dame, a Catholic university.

BREAKING: The Chicago Bulls are waiving Jaden Ivey after he spoke out against the NBA for promoting ‘Pride Month’ and unrighteousness, according to ESPN.

Ivey recently announced that he was alive in Christ.

“They proclaim Pride Month in the NBA. They show it to the world. They… pic.twitter.com/1kxiL36ygn

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 30, 2026

The waiver ends a brief stint in Chicago after Ivey was acquired in a three-team deal involving the Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves. He was originally the fifth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft by Detroit, where the Pistons viewed him as a building block.

Ivey started his career with a strong debut season, earning a spot on the 2022-23 NBA All-Rookie team after averaging 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game while shooting 41.6% from the field. He followed with a career-high 17.6 points per game during the 2024-25 campaign, appearing to take another step as a scorer.

This season, his production slipped as his role changed, with much of his time coming off the bench in Detroit before the trade.

In Chicago, Ivey played four games and averaged 11.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per contest before the Bulls cut ties.

The move immediately set off backlash online from fans and commentators, with many arguing the team punished him for expressing Christian beliefs and criticizing a league-endorsed cultural cause. Others pointed to the “conduct detrimental” language and Ivey’s recent string of inflammatory posts as a line the Bulls were no longer willing to tolerate.

For the Bulls, the decision closes the book on a short, messy chapter. For Ivey, it raises a bigger question: whether another team will take a chance on his talent, and whether he can keep his career on track while continuing to post the kind of videos that just got him shown the door.

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