Ivey accuses Bulls of lying on waiver reason
Former Chicago Bulls guard Jaden Ivey said the team lied when it cited conduct detrimental to the team as the reason for waiving him. Ivey posted a social media rant labeling the NBA's Pride Month "unrighteousness," prompting the Bulls' decision. He insisted on the "PinPoint Podcast" that he was released solely for preaching the Gospel.
Ivey described himself as a good teammate who followed coaching instructions and made the right plays. "My conduct was not detrimental to the team," he said. "That is a lie. I was a good teammate to those around me. I was a good teammate on the floor."
He attributed the waiver directly to his religious expression. "It is strictly because I spoke the truth of the word of God and was preaching the Gospel," Ivey said. "That’s why it was detrimental to the team. I witnessed to many on my team the truth and those things."
Ivey defended his right to speak his beliefs. "Everyone has their beliefs. Everyone believes in something," he said. "If someone can speak and curse and speak about unrighteousness about whatever it may be, then I can speak the truth."
Ivey also revealed past suicide attempts on the podcast. "I almost committed suicide. I had Oxy pills in my hands, and my wife was telling me, ‘Don’t do it,’" he said. "God was merciful to keep me here."
He rejected labels of mental illness tied to his faith. "They don’t say to somebody who’s going to clubs, ‘Are you crazy?’" Ivey said. "But to be the Christian proclaiming the truth, preaching the Gospel, I’m looked at as crazy."
Ivey appeared in recent Bulls games, including against the Denver Nuggets on Feb. 7, 2026, at the United Center and the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 9, 2026, at Barclays Center.
