Jaden Ivey on IG Live after being waived by Bulls: ‘They’re liars, bro. This is lying’

The Chicago Bulls waived guard Jaden Ivey for “conduct detrimental to the team” on Monday, hours after an Instagram livestream in which he delivered targeted comments about the NBA’s advocacy of the LGBTQ community.

Ivey, whose season was shut down on Thursday while he manages left knee pain, has taken to Instagram live three times since the Bulls announced the news of him being shut down last week, delivering inflammatory comments.

“The world can proclaim LGBTQ, right?” Ivey told viewers via livestream on Monday morning. “They proclaim Pride Month. And the NBA, they proclaim it. They show it to the world. They say, ‘Come join us for Pride Month, to celebrate unrighteousness.’ They proclaim it on the billboards. They proclaim it in the streets. Unrighteousness.”

Ivey’s Instagram account has more than 200,000 followers. Monday’s comments were part of an extensive livestream, his third over the past week in which he spoke extensively on his religious beliefs.

The NBA has not commented on Ivey’s comments or release.

On Thursday, hours after Ivey was ruled out for the remainder of the season, Ivey took to Instagram Live to address several topics, including his beliefs. Two days later, Ivey streamed live again from a car, once again reading Bible scriptures and speaking extensively on his religious beliefs over the course of a 75-minute stream.

A user commented to tell Ivey: “Sending prayers (praying hands emoji). Detroit misses you (red heart emoji).” Ivey replied to that user: “God does not hear your Prayer if you are a sinner.”

Underneath the same video, still on his Instagram account as of Monday morning, Ivey, whose mother, Niele, is the women’s basketball coach at Notre Dame, told another viewer, “Catholicism is a false religion. And is not the true Doctrine of Christ. [It] does not lead to salvation in Jesus Christ.”

Bulls coach Billy Donovan talked about the decision to waive Ivey before Chicago’s game against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday.

“I think there’s a certain level of standards and expectations that are here,” Donovan said. “I mean, 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.”

Hours after the Bulls waived him, Ivey went on Instagram Live, where he continued to talk about religion and the NBA.

“They’re liars, bro. This is lying,” Ivey said. “They’re lying saying my conduct is detrimental to the team. That’s a lie. Ask any one of them coaches in there, ‘Was I a good teammate?’ All I’m preaching about is Jesus Christ and they waived me. They say I’m crazy, right? I’m psycho.”

He later said, “I didn’t get myself waived. I was in the gym today. I was rehabbing, doing what was required of my job.”

Chicago traded for Ivey at February’s trade deadline in a deal that sent Kevin Huerter to Detroit. Drafted by the Pistons with the fifth pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Ivey was an explosive, promising athlete before suffering a season-ending broken left leg in January, 2025. Ivey, who was set to be a restricted free agent this summer, also underwent surgery on his right knee in October.

After playing just four games with the Bulls, Ivey was ruled out with knee soreness. Donovan eventually noted that tests showed Ivey needed to strengthen the muscles in his left leg, likely residual effects of such a devastating injury.

On the night of Feb. 19, when Ivey picked up a DNP (coach’s decision) for what then-interim head coach Wes Unseld Jr. called “strictly a basketball decision,” Ivey spoke with the media for just over 10 minutes, detailing his view of what he believed to be his first-career DNP.

“Coach (is) looking for players that help win,” Ivey said. “And Jesus is looking for those who worship him and spread in the truth. 
So I don’t really think that it affects me that much, as far as not playing. I know that that’s why you guys are asking me these questions.”

Asked about his restricted free agency and how he’s approaching this season as it relates to his future, Ivey told reporters, “I don’t really trust the NBA setting. I trust the Lord. 
That’s the main thing. He places me where I need to be.”