Jaden Ivey fires back after his anti-LGBTQ comment led to his release.
The drama surrounding Jaden Ivey continues to unfold.
The Chicago Bulls waived Ivey on Monday due to his conduct that was "detrimental to the team," according to the team's official press release issued hours after an Instagram livestream in which he made controversial comments about the NBA's advocacy to the LGBTQ community.
Per the Chicago Sun-Times' Joe Cowley, Ivey's comments addressing the NBA's Pride Nights, which celebrate the LGBTQ community, were the "final straw" prompting the Bulls' decision to release him.
However, Ivey continued speaking out, launching another livestream via his Instagram account just hours after being waived. Appearing to be boarding a flight, he questioned the Bulls' considering his conduct as "detrimental."
"They're liars, bro. This is lying. They're lying saying my conduct is detrimental to the team. That's a lie," Ivey said during the livestream, recalling his time with teammates and asserting he had no negative impact.
"All I'm preaching about is Jesus Christ and they waived me. But they say I'm crazy, right? I'm psycho," he added.
During the 34-minute, 10-second livestream, Ivey also referenced Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry, questioning his faith and stating he hoped Curry would be "saved in Jesus' name." He suggested that achievements like championship rings wouldn't matter "on Judgement Day" for players "who don't know Jesus Christ," including LeBron James and Michael Jordan.
"They got try to stop me, but I'm not. I'ma keep speaking the truth," Ivey said.
Throughout the livestream, Ivey repeatedly affirmed his Christian faith. Flight attendants visible in the background asked him to end the stream. After a brief conversation, Ivey concluded by saying, "May Jesus bless y'all."
When asked about Ivey's situation, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan stressed "a certain level of standards" players should follow.
"We have people from all different walks of life working in the building and players from all different walks of life, right? So, the first thing is, everybody comes with their own personal experiences. But one is, we've got to all be professional. I think there's got to be a high level of respect for one another, and we got to help each other and then be accountable to those standards," Donovan said during his pregame press conference before the Bulls faced San Antonio.
Chicago acquired Ivey ahead of February's trade deadline in a deal with the Detroit Pistons, while trading Dario Saric and Kevin Huerter away. Ivey appeared in only four games before being sidelined on Feb. 11 with a sore left knee. The team subsequently shut him down for the remainder of the season.