(LifeSiteNews) — The Chicago Bulls cut one of their players on Monday after he publicly criticized the NBA for celebrating LGBT “Pride Month.”
The Bulls waived Jaden Ivey just hours after he posted his Bible-based views objecting to “Pride Nights,” a promotional stunt embraced by virtually every major league sports team, including the NBA, NHL, NFL, and MLB.
“The world proclaims LGBTQ, right? 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,’” Ivey said on Instagram.
The Bulls claimed that his conduct was “detrimental to the team.”
The implication was that Ivey had somehow become mentally or emotionally unstable.
Jaden Ivey calls out the NBA for celebrating Pride Month
“The world proclaims LGBTQ, right? 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.’”
(@esidery)
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 30, 2026
Punished for his Christian beliefs
The outcry from Christians and conservatives was swift and formidable.
“Sports reporters have portrayed Ivey as mentally unstable when in fact he’s just a born-again follower of Jesus talking about his faith,” Newsmax host Todd Starnes noted. “We live in an age where right is wrong and wrong is right. Those who seek to follow the teachings of Christ are punished for their beliefs.”
Ivey “is openly taking a stand rooted in religious conviction. But for seemingly that reason, the Bulls are now openly cutting ties with him,” the sports news and analysis site Outkick said.
“Jaden Ivey was kicked off the Chicago Bulls today after being labeled ‘detrimental to the team’ due to his Christian views on LGBTQ pride nights. Detrimental to the team? ‘Because I believe in the truth? Because I know Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life?’” CatholicVote wondered.
“Totally unconstitutional,” the patriotic Catholic website added.
“A guy who doesn’t wanna celebrate two men having gay sex doesn’t need ‘mental help,’” X influencer Pro-America Politics & Markets asserted. “The NBA is a disgrace.”
“We need to be VERY clear. The Chicago Bulls are kicking Jaden Ivey off the team for being an out and open Christian who lived out his faith by opposing NBA LGBTQ+ Pride events,” wrote Robby Starbuck, conservative activist and Heritage Foundation fellow, on X. “EVERY single NBA player needs to speak up for Jaden Ivey now or their religious freedom could be next.”
“The NBA isn’t just soft, they’re straight up anti-Christian and anti-Bible,” Hip Hop artist An0maly declared.
“The Bulls are punishing a player for being a Christian,” radio host Dana Loesch said. “This is religious discrimination.”
“This is religious persecution,” conservative Hollywood actor Kevin Sorbo said.
The NBA and Chicago Bulls: hypocrites?
Others pointed out that the NBA tolerates players who are guilty of criminal, sometimes felonious behavior, or go on unhinged rants about conservative governance but are not punished.
“The NBA’s mistreatment of Jaden Ivey over his Christian-based criticism of Pride Month is egregious,” podcast house and commentator Kyle Becker said. “Steve Kerr, Gregg Popovich, Doc Rivers, Steph Curry, Lebron James, and others have also said things far more provocative – even incendiary – about politics.”
Becker cited several examples before concluding that “when it comes to discrimination against Christians, the NBA isn’t just silent. It is perpetrating it.”
“Jaden Ivey spoke truth: Pride month is a month to celebrate unrighteousness. Other athletes are allowed to say disgusting drivel with no repercussions, but basic Christian doctrine is considered beyond the pale,” Allie Beth Stuckey said.
“The NBA allows Steve Kerr to do press conferences and turn them into political speeches with the NBA logo in the background. He calls the president Hitler. He calls federal law-enforcement Nazis,” Pro-America Politics & Markets noted in a subsequent X post. “They do nothing to him.”
“Jaden Ivey expresses his Christian views on his personal social media and he’s fired within an hour,” the post continued.
Multiple X users asked X’s AI function, Grok, how many NBA players in recent decades have been convicted of crimes but didn’t get cut from their team.
Grok indicated that instances of DUIs, assaults, gun charges “top hundreds.”
“If only he’d just raped a girl or beat up his girlfriend, everything would be FINE,” conservative author and commentator Ann Coulter declared.
“Anthony Edwards, one of the young superstars in the NBA, paid off one woman to get an abortion and encouraged another to do so as well,” a Catholic X user wrote. “The NBA celebrates and encourages Edwards’ behavior.”
Anthony Edwards, one of the young superstars in the NBA, paid off one woman to get an abortion and encouraged another to do so as well.
In December 2023, Instagram model Paige Jordae posted screenshots of text messages from Edwards.
They showed a positive pregnancy test and… https://t.co/byZEUmoaYC pic.twitter.com/taSKq9gpIR
— Lucky Teter (@TheMagaHulk) March 31, 2026
“Every Christian in the NBA should stand with Jaden Ivey. Speak the biblical truth about NBA Pride Month to the glory of Chris,” Christian podcast host John Mason urged.
“Christianity is not for cowards,” said Mason. “Jesus calls us to be set apart from the world.”
Every Christian in the NBA should stand with Jaden Ivey. Speak the biblical truth about NBA Pride Month to the glory of Christ.@StephenCurry30 I’m a huge fan, but I’m primarily talking about you.
Christianity is not for cowards. Jesus calls us to be set apart from the world. https://t.co/b8gmOuQWbb
— John Mason (@LivingGodsTruth) March 31, 2026
New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson supported Ivey with an X post citing Matthew 5:10: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Henderson’s post has received seven million views and nearly 100,000 “likes” in less than 24 hours.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:10 https://t.co/CTpkaMx0oT— TreVeyon Henderson (@TreVeyonH4) March 31, 2026
By this morning, the Chicago Bulls’ Patrick Williams had come to Ivey’s defense.
“I stand with Jaden Ivey on everything he said. If they cut him, they might as well cut me too.”
Chicago Bulls Patrick Williams:
“ I stand with Jaden Ivey on everything he said. If they cut him, they might as well cut me too”
— White Cunningham (@LostHebrew_Dre) March 31, 2026