The Chicago Bulls waived fourth-year guard Jaden Ivey on Monday for “conduct detrimental to the team.”
The Bulls’ decision came shortly after Ivey, the fifth overall selection of the 2022 NBA Draft, published several videos on social media that expressed his disapproval of the league’s Pride Month activities from a religious perspective.
Perhaps just as troubling, the 24-year-old guard’s tone and cadence in his videos sounded distracted or off-kilter.
“That the world can proclaim LBGTQ,” Ivey said while appearing to be driving a car during one snippet. “Right?”
“They proclaim Pride Month and the NBA, they proclaim it. They show it to the world. They say come, come, uh, come join us for Pride. For Pride Month. To celebrate unrighteousness. They proclaim it. They proclaim it on the billboards. They proclaim it in the streets. Unrighteousness. So how is it that one can’t, can’t speak righteousness? How are they to say that, uh, you, you, ‘Man, this man is crazy.'”
Ivey averaged 14.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists while shooting 35.4% from 3-point range in 3 1/2 seasons for the Detroit Pistons. The Bulls acquired the Purdue alum in a trade on Feb. 3, but Ivey appeared in just four games before being shut down due to left knee issues.
