Peter Okereke
Ex-NBA player Royce White expressed his support for Jaden Ivey after he was waived by the Chicago Bulls on Monday following his anti-LGBTQ comments.
Ivey had an outburst on social media amid his rehabilitation from a left knee injury, which prompted the franchise to cut him.
However, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), White joined other notable names to call out the Bulls and the league for making a decision that was against Ivey’s freedom of speech. While the ex-player seems to be making a point, he’s also using the situation to garner votes for his upcoming midterm elections campaign in November.
“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.
While Jaden Ivey was within his right to say whatever he wanted, he was still contracted to the team and his comments likely violated some rules. Hence, his release, while controversial, was probably because his statements were deemed detrimental by the Bulls front office.
Jaden Ivey’s future now uncertain following this incident
Before suffering a broken left fibula in January 2025, Jaden Ivey was having the best season of his career. The shooting guard was averaging 17.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists in his third season.
He was primed to get a rookie max extension, which he didn’t get last summer. He also suffered a right knee injury in the preseason, which has limited him this season.
The Detroit Pistons eventually traded the young guard to the Chicago Bulls at the deadline as part of a three-team deal. But Ivey ended up just playing four games for the Bulls before they shut him down due to a left knee injury.
However, with his release on Monday, he’s going to be an unrestricted free agent this summer. It will be interesting to see if a team is going to take a chance on him despite his controversial remarks given the nature of the NBA.
