Peter Okereke
The Chicago Bulls waived guard Jaden Ivey on Monday after he allegedly made anti-LGBTQ remarks on social media. Ivey was already ruled out for the rest of the season due to a left knee injury.
Following the incident, the shooting guard received plenty of support including from New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson.
In a post on his X page, Henderson expressed sympathy for Ivey by sharing what the player said that got him released. He then used a Bible verse, Matthew 5:10, to show support for the 24-year-old guard.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” Henderson tweeted.
Jaden Ivey was having the best year of his career last season before going down with a leg injury. As a result, Ivey missed out on a rookie max extension, as he went down the Detroit Pistons’ pecking order this season.
As such, he played limited minutes and was traded to the Chicago Bulls at the deadline as part of a three-way deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
It’s going to be an intriguing summer for Ivey, who remains filled with potential. However, his recent remarks might prove problematic for him with other teams.
Ex-NBA player also threw support behind Jaden Ivey
Asides TreVeyon Henderson, Jaden Ivey also received support from former NBA star Royce White. The player-turned-politician is expected to run for senator in Minnesota this summer, so he used the current issue as part of his campaign.
“BOOM… Freedom of Speech? You have to support sucking d*ck to play in the NBA now? What a heavy blow to American culture! Get it, heavy blow? Seriously though, can we reel it in? What is even that?” White tweeted.
Although Ivey had the right to say whatever he wanted, he likely wasn’t free from the terms of being employed by a private franchise like the Chicago Bulls.
Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see how the 24-year-old weathers this storm and which team he eventually ends up at.
