After the Bulls waived newly acquired guard Jaden Ivey on Monday (March 30), controversy erupted about whether the athlete was being persecuted for his Christian faith. Ivey, 24, was traded from Detroit to Chicago in February and played in portions of just four games for the Bulls that month.
The Bulls released Ivey for “conduct detrimental to the team” without providing specifics. Hours earlier, the guard had posted a long Instagram video in which he called the celebration of homosexuality “unrighteousness.” In other recent videos, Ivey spoke out against abortion and questioned whether NBA superstar Steph Curry is a true Christian. Ivey, whose mother coaches the Notre Dame women’s basketball team, also has called Catholicism a “false religion.”
Following his dismissal, Ivey asked, “Why didn’t [the Bulls] just say, ‘We don’t agree with his stance on LGBTQ?’” About being a detriment to his team, he added, “I haven’t even been with the team because I’ve been rehabbing.”
Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said the team has “a certain level of expectations and standards.” Each person brings “their own personal experiences” to the team, he added, “but we have to all be professional, there has to be a high level of respect for one another, and we’ve got to help each other and be accountable to those standards.”
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Jaden Ivey’s pro career started strong, and he earned a spot on the 2022-2023 NBA All-Rookie team. Since then, the athlete has dealt with injuries and spoken openly about struggling with depression. Because Ivey didn’t sign a contract extension with Detroit before being traded to Chicago, he’ll become a free agent this off-season.
After the Bulls parted ways with Ivey, many conservative Christians and Christian athletes rallied behind him. Other people said Ivey’s “preaching” had become exhausting, with some expressing concern for his mental health.
Jaden Ivey Receives Support After Being Released by Bulls
Jaden Ivey, who was baptized two years ago, has three young children with wife Caitlyn. Previously, he revealed he was molested as a child, was addicted to porn, and had been angry and abusive toward his wife. After the Bulls benched Ivey on Feb. 19, he told reporters, “The old [Jaden Ivey] is dead. I’m alive in Christ no matter what the basketball setting is.”
On social media, Ivey is receiving support from fellow Christians. Evangelist Franklin Graham praised the athlete for proclaiming his “biblical beliefs” and encouraged other Christians to follow suit. “God has something bigger and better in store Jaden!” Graham added.
“God bless Jaden Ivey,” posted theology professor Andrew T. Walker. “He’s exactly right in standing up for righteousness. And shame on the @chicagobulls for re-engaging the tired project of cancel culture.”
“These bullying tactics no longer work and people will not be silenced,” said Walker. “In the modified words of a former Bulls star, ‘Christians buy sneakers, too.’”
The Bulls released Ivey for conduct detrimental to the team without providing specifics. Hours earlier, the guard had posted a long Instagram video in which he called the celebration of homosexuality unrighteousness.Click to Post
