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The Chicago Bulls cut a player loose on Monday because of what they call "conduct detrimental to the team." Jaden Ivey spoke out about his Christian faith and against Pride month, namely the NBA's celebration of it. He called the month dedicated to the honor and observance of homosexuality and homosexual culture "unrighteous," and the team officials were just beside themselves.
"The Chicago Bulls announced today that the team has waived guard Jaden Ivey due to conduct detrimental to the team," the Bulls posted to X. Ivey's infraction was posting videos against Pride month and in favor of Jesus Christ. Many have noted, of course, that calling a movement celebrating sexual proclivity "pride" is a bit much.
"The world proclaims LGBTQ, right?" Ivey said in one of his video posts. "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.' They proclaim it on the billboards. They proclaim it on the streets. Unrighteousness." ESPN called the comments "anti-gay."
After the cut, Bulls Coach Billy Donovan said, "There's a certain level of expectations and standards that are here. Everybody comes with their own personal experiences, right? 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."
Apparently, being pro-Jesus and anti-Pride does not rise to the level of those standards. In February, Ivey said, "I’m sure people can call it out that I’m not the same player as I used to be. That’s why I’m not the J.I. I used to be. The old J.I. is dead. I’m alive in Christ. No matter what the basketball setting is, I’m born again in The Holy Spirit, and I’ve been saved by Jesus Christ. No matter how many DNPs I don’t get to play or no matter how many points I score, these things are a temporary thing."
There can be a disconnect in sports in many cases between the moral views of the players or fans and the views of management. Ivey's jersey has sold out. New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson voiced support for Ivey. So did Jets cornerback Azareyeh Thomas.
When players degrade themselves, run around with multiple women, blow their money, live large and degenerate lives, management doesn't say a word—so long as some barmaid somewhere doesn't make a public complaint.
The same owners and managers who cut Ivey over his comments sing a far different tune when players eschew those values of immorality and instead skew Christian or conservative. Miles Bridges was suspended for 30 games—not cut from the team—when he assaulted his wife. The Bulls didn't fire Ronnie Brewer after he was arrested for a DUI. Joakim Noah was arrested for drugs, but still kept his job. Jameson Curry was arrested for peeing in public and resisting arrest, but he still has his job.
After he was cut, Ivey said, "They said my conduct is 'detrimental to the team.' Why didn't they just say 'we don't agree with his stance on LGBTQ'? Why didn't they say that? Well, how is it conducted that is detrimental to the team? What did I do to the team? What did I do to the players?
"I did nothing but, but, but practice with them, play with them. Pass the ball to them. Good teammate to them. Say, 'Good job, good shot.'... I said these things to my teammates was never detrimental to them. So why is it that the NBA and the Chicago Bulls say that I'm detrimental to the team? How? Because I believe in the truth, because I know Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. How? How is my conduct detrimental to the team because of what I believe, because of what the truth is?"
Libby