What did Jaden Ivey say? Explaining sudden release from Bulls after NBA Pride Month rant

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Mar 31, 2026 - 09:30
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What did Jaden Ivey say? Explaining sudden release from Bulls after NBA Pride Month rant

What did Jaden Ivey say? Explaining sudden release from Bulls after NBA Pride Month rant originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Bulls are waiving guard Jaden Ivey a little more than a month after acquiring his services via trade, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

A former top pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Ivey was once considered one of basketball's best prospects. Chicago hoped to resurrect the 24-year old's career following some challenging seasons with the Pistons.

However, Ivey's spot on the team proved precarious after he made anti-LGBTQ comments on social media on Monday. The comments were the latest in a string of events that involved the Purdue alum.

Here's the latest on Ivey's release.

What happened to Jaden Ivey?

Picked by the Pistons No. 5 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft, Ivey was expected to make waves as a part of a budding Detroit backcourt that also featured All-NBA guard Cade Cunningham.

Injuries prevented Ivey from reaching his full potential in the Motor City. Chicago took a punt on the 24-year-old guard at the trade deadline, acquiring him in a deal that sent Kevin Huerter to Detroit.

However, Ivey played just four games before his knee gave out, prompting the Bulls to shut him down for the foreseeable future.

While Ivey's on-court presence was limited, he began to garner headlines for all the wrong reasons off-the-floor. On Feb. 19, Ivey was DNP'd. He gave an impromptu postgame sermon in the locker room, telling reporters that the old him was dead.

"No matter what or how many DNPs I don't get to play, no matter how many points I score, those things are a temporary thing," Ivey said. "Jesus is eternal. ... He can free you from all sins."

Ivey soon took his homilies to social media, drawing Chicago's front office's rancor after releasing an anti-LGBTQ tirade on Instagram Live. 

Why did Bulls release Jaden Ivey?

Charania reported that Ivey's release was the direct result of anti-LGBTQ comments he made on social media while discussing religion and other topics.

The Chicago Sun-Times' Joe Crowley previously reported that Chicago was working on a "exit" strategy from Ivey after videos of Ivey's comments swept across social media.

The Bulls announced that Ivey's dismissal was the result of "conduct detrimental to the team."

Head coach Billy Donovan had his say on Ivey's release, telling reporters that Ivey failed to adhere to Chicago's standards with his recent social media posts.

Jaden Ivey injury history

Ivey has dealt with recurring lower-body trouble over the years. He was one of basketball's most explosive guards when he entered the league and was on pace for a career-best season before suffering a broken left fibula in a Jan. 2025 matchup against the Magic.

Ivey underwent season-ending surgery to repair the fracture. He returned to the court in the subsequent preseason but was sidelined again after suffering an injury to his right knee. He underwent arthroscopic surgery to relieve his discomfort, missing Detroit's first 15 games of the season.

Ivey's explosiveness appeared to diminish following his injury. Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said as much after Chicago ruled Ivey out for at least two weeks with soreness in his left knee.

"Certainly, when he came here and, you know, he started getting more minutes -- in the first few games his minutes were in the 30s -- you could just see he wasn't like stopping, starting," Donovan said, per ESPN. "He didn't have that explosiveness that you saw when you watched him play."

Jaden Ivey social media posts

Ivey posted a series of videos on social media in recent weeks. One of his latest offerings involved an anti-LGBTQ rant. Ivey called out the NBA for celebrating Pride Month, claiming it was akin to celebrating "unrighteousness."

"They proclaim Pride Month in the NBA," Ivey said. "They say 'Come, join us for Pride Month.' To celebrate unrighteousness."

When news of his release broke, Ivey took to Instagram once more. Speaking to his social media followers, Ivey blasted the Bulls and NBA. He also took shots at Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Michael Jordan, alleging they "don't know Jesus Christ."

"They said 'Your conduct is detrimental to the team," Ivey said. "I haven't been with the team. I haven't been with the team because I've been rehabbing. So how is my conduct detrimental to the team? Where have I done detriment? Did I say 'You suck' to the players? That would be detrimental to the team, right?"

"All I'm preaching is about Jesus Christ and they waived me. They say I'm crazy, I'm psycho…God let these things happen for a reason.

"When I came into the league all I wanted to do was win championships, get millions of bucks, get that next contract, get all them cars, that's all I wanted until the Lord showed me. What good is it to gain the world & forfeit your soul? What good is it to not follow the Lord, obey his commandments?"

Ivey's comments drew the ire of many. However, some observers offered support for his words, including Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson.

What did Jaden Ivey say about Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Michael Jordan?

Ivey named names when delivering his Instagram address, calling out Curry, James and Jordan for their apparent lack of religious zeal.

"It's not gonna do no good doing your will and trying to win championships and you're not doing the will of God. That's why many don't know the real Jesus. That's why you got Steph Curry and he's not even surrender and y'all believe he's a Christian. Y'all believe he's a Christian because he wrote Phillippians 4:13. Y'all think he's a Christian. But he's cursed him just like the world. He don't know Jesus, and I pray he comes to the truth, that him and his family be saved in Jesus name.

"All them rings he got…all them rings LeBron got, Michael Jordan got, all them people in the Hall of Fame who don't know Jesus Christ, it's not gonna matter on Judgment Day and your name is not written in the Book of Life."

Jaden Ivey net worth

The exact figures of Ivey's net worth is unclear. However, he inked a four-year, $32.9 million rookie deal with the Pistons in 2022. He was in the final year of his contract and was slated to be a restricted free agent in the offseason.

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