In Today’s NBA, Beliefs Can Be a Firing Offense
3rd April 2026
There are plenty of things an NBA player can do and still keep his job.
League history is littered with examples: players involved in off-court scandals, arrests, and even allegations of serious violence. Time and again, teams and the league have found ways to look past behavior that, in most professions, would be career-ending.
But there appears to be one line that cannot be crossed — especially during Holy Week.
That line, it seems, is expressing a traditional religious belief.
Enter Jaden Ivey.
The former Purdue standout was the fifth overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft, a rising young guard who averaged 16 points and five assists as a rookie with the Detroit Pistons. By his third season, he was approaching 18 points per game before an injury derailed his momentum. Eventually, he landed with the Chicago Bulls.
By all accounts, Ivey was a productive player still on the rise.
Then came an Instagram video.
In it, Ivey — now a newly converted Christian — criticized the NBA’s celebration of Pride Month. His comments reflected a conventional religious viewpoint: that pride, as celebrated in this context, conflicts with Christian teachings on sin.
“They proclaim Pride Month,” Ivey said. “They say, ‘Come join us … to celebrate unrighteousness.’”
That was enough.
UPDATE: Poison Ivey: Chicago Bulls Release Forward After He Speaks Out Against Pride Month