The NBA was involved in a strong controversy after the Chicago Bulls decided to fire Jaden Ivey after the dissemination of messages on social networks in which he criticized Pride Month.
The franchise announced the measure through a statement in which it argued “conduct harmful to the team”, after the guard posted a video on Instagram with statements of a religious tone and questioning of the inclusion campaigns.
In one of the excerpts, Ivey said: "They proclaim Pride Month in the NBA. They proclaim it. They show it to the world.
They say: come and join us for Pride, for Pride Month to celebrate injustice. They proclaim it. They proclaim it on the billboards. They proclaim it in the streets. Injustice. So how come you can't talk about justice? How can they say that this man is crazy? ”.
After learning about his departure, the player himself reacted on social networks and questioned the decision: “How is my behavior harmful to the team? Because of what I believe? For what is the truth? ”.
From the team's coaching staff, Billy Donovan avoided delving into the content of the posts, although he made the institutional position clear: “Everyone comes with their own personal experiences, but one thing is that we all have to be professionals. I think there has to be a high level of respect between us, and we need to help each other and then be held to account according to those standards
.”
The coach also referred to the personal context of the player, who in recent months had spoken publicly about his depression and his approach to religion: “I don't want to go into what he published, but I certainly hope he's okay. I've had conversations with Jaden and he's always been focused on rehabilitating his knee and trying to get back on the
court.”
Ivey had arrived in Chicago in February from the Detroit Pistons and was in the final stages of his contract. During the season, he played 37 games, with an average of 8.5 points, although he had not played for several weeks due to a pain in his left knee
.
The Bulls' decision revives the debate over the limits between athletes' freedom of expression and the institutional values promoted by franchises in professional leagues.
