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NBA player Jaden Ivey went on a social media rant after being waived by the Chicago Bulls on Monday. The Bulls claimed Ivey was waived for “conduct detrimental to the team” after he made comments critical of pride month, citing his Christian faith.
In a series of live posts on Instagram, Ivey gave his thoughts on being waived by the Bulls.
“They’re liars, bro. This is lying,” Ivey said on an Instagram live. “They lie and say my behavior is detrimental to the team. That’s a lie. Ask any of those coaches in there, ‘Was I a good teammate?’ All I preach about is Jesus Christ and they gave me up. They say I’m crazy, right? I’m psycho.
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Jaden Ivey of the Chicago Bulls looks on during the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on February 9, 2026 in New York City. (Evan Bernstein/Getty Images)
“They will try to stop me, but I won’t, I will keep telling the truth. That’s why everyone around me is turning their backs on me because of my faith. I didn’t give up on myself. I was in the gym today, I rehabbed, lifted and did what was required of me in my job… I could have quit on my own, but they could have quit themselves.”
Ivey later spoke about his addiction to pornography and how Christianity helped him overcome it.
“Before I came to the Lord Jesus Christ, the NBA was everything to me,” Ivey said in a live stream. “I didn’t know God. I didn’t know Jesus when I got to the NBA. I was a whore, I was a porn addict, and I used to get drunk. That’s all I knew. And after a win, and after all those points, I felt good… I felt like I had everything lined up for me.”
Ivey also appeared to criticize Steph Curry and LeBron James, questioning their devotion to Christianity.
“That’s why you got Steph Curry…he doesn’t know Jesus and I pray that he comes to the truth, that he and his family are saved in Jesus name…” Ivey said. “All the flack he got, all the flack LeBron got, all the flack Michael Jordan got, all the people in the Hall of Fame who don’t know Jesus Christ — no. It’s not going to matter on judgment day if you don’t know Jesus and your name isn’t written in the book of life.”
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Chicago Bulls guard Jaden Ivey (31) passes against the Toronto Raptors during the second half at Scotiabank Arena on February 5, 2026. (Dan Hamilton/Imagn Images)
Ivey’s video calling out the league was posted Monday morning as he said it was “unfair” that the NBA would celebrate Pride Month.
“The world can proclaim LGBTQ, right?” Ivey said in that video. “They’re proclaiming Pride Month and the NBA. They’re proclaiming it. They’re showing it to the world. They’re saying, ‘Come join Pride Month to celebrate injustice.’
Ivey also said in another video that Catholicism was a “false religion,” which comes as a potential problem for Ivey’s mother.
Ivey was the fifth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft by the Pistons, who hoped he would be a key piece in their rebuild. He was solid to start his career, making 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.
Ivey was traded to the Bulls as part of a three-team deal involving his former Detroit Pistons and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
He posted a career-high 17.6 points per game. game during the 2024-2025 campaign as the Purdue product seemed to hit his stride.
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Jaden Ivey of the Chicago Bulls reacts during the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on February 9, 2026 in New York City. (Evan Bernstein/Getty Images)
However, Ivey saw a decline in his production this year, playing primarily off the bench for the Pistons before the trade.
Ivey played just four games with the Bulls, averaging 11.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. battle before he was released.
