{"id":50122,"date":"2026-04-02T15:07:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T19:07:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/?p=50122"},"modified":"2026-04-02T15:07:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T19:07:16","slug":"bulls-cut-jaden-ivey-after-he-criticizes-pride-night","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2026\/04\/bulls-cut-jaden-ivey-after-he-criticizes-pride-night.html","title":{"rendered":"Bulls Cut Jaden Ivey After He Criticizes Pride Night"},"content":{"rendered":"
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All-Pro Reels \/ Flickr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Former Bulls player Jaden Ivey has been released from the team after expressing his Christian beliefs while criticizing the team\u2019s Pride Night. In a video he posted, Ivey criticized the league for hosting LGBTQ+ pride nights. \u201cThe world can proclaim LGBTQ, right? They proclaim Pride Month and the NBA. They proclaim it. They show it to the world,\u201d he said<\/a>. \u201cThey say, \u2018Come join us for Pride Month to celebrate unrighteousness.\u2019 They proclaim it. They proclaim it on the billboards. They proclaim in the streets. Unrighteousness. So, how is it that one can\u2019t speak righteousness? Who are they to say that this man is crazy?\u201d In another video, Ivey called Catholicism a \u201cfalse religion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Soon after posting the videos, the Bulls announced that Ivey was no longer part of the team, stating it was because of \u201cconduct detrimental to the team.\u201d Christians soon rallied around Ivey, saying the team had cut him simply for being a Christian. Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson appeared to throw in his support behind Ivey by sharing<\/a> the report that Ivey had been cut alongside a quotation of Matthew 5:10, which states, \u201cBlessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness\u2019 sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.\u201d Miami Dolphins long snapper Blake Ferguson showed his support by sharing the story along with a passage from John 15:18-21, which states, \u201cIf the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: \u2018A servant is not greater than his master.\u2019 If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ivey defended his actions on \u201cPinPoint Podcast<\/a>.\u201d \u201cMy conduct was not detrimental to the team. That is a lie. I was a good teammate to those around me. I was a good teammate on the floor. I made the right plays. I did exactly what the coach asked me to do on a daily basis,\u201d he said. \u00a0He insisted he was cut for preaching \u201cthe word of God.\u201d \u201cIt is strictly because I spoke the truth of the word of God and was preaching the Gospel. That\u2019s why it was detrimental to the team. I witnessed to many on my team the truth and those things.\u201d He insisted that he ought to be able to speak the truth. \u201cIf someone can speak and curse and speak about unrighteousness about whatever it may be, then I can speak the truth and that\u2019s because my\u00a0God says to speak the truth\u00a0to the lost, to those who don\u2019t know Jesus, to those who are not born again.\u201d<\/p>\n

The NBA has not responded to the controversy. Meanwhile, others criticized the hypocrisy of other players who had been caught in domestic abuse cases and were still playing. \u201cMiles Bridges: Arrested and criminally charged with multiple felony counts of domestic violence and child abuse after an alleged assault on the mother of his children *30 game suspension, remained with the team,\u201d wrote one account on X<\/a>. \u201cJaden Ivey: Christian who spoke out against Pride Month *Immediately cut from the team The NBA has a massive problem and it\u2019s not Jaden Ivey.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Former Bulls player Jaden Ivey has been released from the team after expressing his Christian beliefs while criticizing the team\u2019s Pride Night. In a video he posted, Ivey criticized the league for hosting LGBTQ+ pride nights. \u201cThe world can proclaim LGBTQ, right? They proclaim Pride Month and the NBA. They proclaim it. They show it…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":516,"featured_media":50125,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-50122","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-television"],"yoast_head":"\nBulls Cut Jaden Ivey After He Criticizes Pride Night<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Former NBA player Jaden Ivey claims he was cut after sharing Christian views on Pride Night, sparking debate over faith and speech.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2026\/04\/bulls-cut-jaden-ivey-after-he-criticizes-pride-night.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" 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