Jaden Ivey became the most-talked-about athlete in sports after what happened to him on Monday. Ivey posted videos on his social media accounts, talking about religious stuff, and had a homophobic rant about the LGBTQ community.
Hours after his video was posted, the Chicago Bullswaived him. The Bulls released a statement that Ivey's actions were "conduct detrimental to the team." The young guard had only played four games for Chicago before he was shut down for the rest of the 2025-26 season due to a knee injury.
Ivey came to the Bulls before the Feb. 5 trade deadline from the Detroit Pistons. On Tuesday, his former head coach, JB Bickerstaff, was asked about his thoughts on the former Purdue guard.
Pistons' JB Bickerstaff Comments on Jaden Ivey's Release
Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
“Having built a relationship with JI, and feeling like you know his character and his heart, is one thing,” Bickerstaff said ahead of the Pistons’ game against the Toronto Raptors. “For him to go through what he's gone through, I know, has been extremely difficult for him… the way he was playing, the injuries, trying to make the comeback and trying to overcome that. So, I don't think we can overlook the human aspect of all these things and how that impacts people and their decisions.
Bickerstaff also spoke highly of the NBA being a league that promotes inclusivity, celebrating different ethnicities, heritages and sexual preferences.
Ivey was drafted by the Pistons in 2022 with the No. 5 pick. Before being sent to Chicago, he played for the team for three and a half seasons. Last season, he experienced Bickerstaff as the head coach and appeared in 30 games, averaging 17.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists.
This season, he played 33 games for Bickerstaff and struggled to find consistent minutes in the rotation. Ivey averaged 8.2 points on 37.2% shooting from deep.
During his time with the media, Bickerstaff was asked about how he was able to connect with Ivey during their brief time together. According to the head coach, there was no "unique circumstance," and he gave the same level of respect to Ivey as he had given to the rest of the team.
“I thought we built a good relationship, basketball business may sometimes get in the way with those relationships. But I felt like we built a genuine relationship.”
Ivey is now a free agent after he was waived. According to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic, the 24-year-old guard will receive his full $10.1 million salary.
