As Basketball Skills Fade, Ivey Rebrands as Hate Preacher at Expense of the Bulls, Fans, Teammates and NBA, Says Former Chicago Talk Show Host
Contact Wayne Besen, Executive Director, wbesen@truthwinsout.org
Delray Beach, FL — Truth Wins Out today praised the Chicago Bulls for taking decisive and responsible action in waiving guard Jaden Ivey following what the team described as “conduct detrimental to the team.” The move comes after Ivey posted a series of anti-LGBTQ online rants and reportedly created tension within the locker room by promoting divisive and preachy rhetoric rooted in a distorted interpretation of religious doctrine.
“The Bulls sent a clear message that hateful conduct has consequences,” said Truth Wins Out Executive Director Wayne Besen, who is a Bulls fan and a former talk show host at WCPT-AM, Chicago’s Progressive Talk. “They stood up for their fans, their players, and the integrity of the game. That kind of leadership matters. Professional sports are at their best when they bring people together. There is no place in that environment for rhetoric that divides, demeans, or dehumanizes. The Bulls understood that—and they acted accordingly.”
Besen continued: “Ivey has no idea whether he has LGBTQ teammates, and that’s precisely the point. In today’s NBA, diversity is a given. There are players with gay parents, players with LGBTQ friends, and players who may themselves be part of the community. His comments created a hostile environment based on ignorance and assumption.”
According to reports, Ivey abused his platform to deliver inflammatory anti-LGBTQ messages, framing his views as religious conviction while ignoring the real-world harm such rhetoric causes. Truth Wins Out rejected the notion that these statements were harmless expressions of belief. On social media, Ivey spewed:
“The world can proclaim LGBTQ, right?” Ivey told viewers via livestream on Monday morning. “They proclaim Pride Month. And the NBA, they proclaim it. They show it to the world. They say, ‘Come join us for Pride Month, to celebrate unrighteousness.’ They proclaim it on the billboards. They proclaim it in the streets. Unrighteousness.”
“Let’s be clear—this was not about faith, it was about weaponizing faith,” Besen said. “Hiding behind a backward interpretation of the Bible to demean LGBTQ people is not moral courage. It is bigotry, plain and simple.”
The organization emphasized that Ivey’s conduct was particularly damaging given the diverse and inclusive nature of professional basketball’s fan base. The NBA has long promoted messages of equality and inclusion, and millions of LGBTQ fans support teams like the Bulls. After he was waived, Ivey was unapologetic:
“[The Bulls] said my conduct is detrimental to the team. Why didn’t they just say, ‘We don’t agree with his stance on LGBTQ’? Why didn’t they say that? … How is it conduct detrimental to the team? What did I do to the team? What did I do to the players?”
Besen said his unrepentant jeremiad proves the Bulls coach Billy Donovan and management made the correct decision.
“There are LGBTQ Bulls fans who were directly insulted and demeaned by these comments. These are loyal supporters who invest their time, money, and passion into this team. To treat them as lesser—or to suggest they are somehow morally inferior—is unacceptable.”
Truth Wins Out also noted that Ivey’s actions reflected a profound lack of awareness about the realities of the modern NBA. While not all gay players are publicly out, there have been openly LGBTQ professional basketball players, as well as players with LGBTQ family members.
John Amaechi, who played for the Utah Jazz, came out in 2007 after retiring. The first openly gay player to suit up was Jason Collins who came out it 2013 while playing for the Brooklyn Nets. Legendary Hall of Fame players have LGBTQ children, such as Magic Johnson and Dwayne Wade. Power forward, Kenneth Faried, who played for the Denver Nuggets (2011-2018), has two moms, which he enthusiastically loves and embraces.
Beyond the immediate harm caused by his rhetoric, Truth Wins Out criticized what it described as a calculated and self-serving motive behind Ivey’s actions. The organization pointed to reports that Ivey had been dealing with severe injuries and declining performance, raising questions about his long-term future in the league.
“This looks less like a spontaneous outburst and more like a cynical rebranding effort,” Besen said. “Here you have a player whose athletic trajectory may have been uncertain due to injuries, and instead of focusing on his game or his team, he chose to position himself as a fire-and-brimstone preacher.”
According to Truth Wins Out, Ivey appeared to leverage controversy as a means of extending his public profile beyond basketball, regardless of the consequences for his team or the league.
“He used his NBA platform—granted to him because of his athletic talent—to launch a second career built on division and outrage,” Besen said. “That’s not just unprofessional, it’s deeply selfish. He put his personal agenda ahead of his teammates, his organization, and the league that gave him that platform.”
The organization also condemned Ivey for invoking and criticizing some of the most respected figures in basketball, including LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Michael Jordan, in an apparent attempt to draw attention to his message.
“Dragging the names of LeBron, Curry, and Jordan into this was a transparent attempt to piggyback on their fame and accomplishments,” Besen said. “These are athletes who have earned global respect through excellence and leadership. Ivey tried to use their visibility as a launching pad for his own agenda of intolerance.”
Truth Wins Out argued that such tactics further demonstrate the performative nature of Ivey’s rhetoric, suggesting that his actions were less about genuine conviction and more about attracting attention and building a new identity.
“This was not a principled stand—it was a publicity strategy,” Besen said. “And it came at the expense of the very people who make the NBA what it is: diverse, inclusive, and globally respected.”
The organization commended the Bulls for recognizing the broader implications of Ivey’s behavior and acting in a way that reinforces the league’s stated values.
Truth Wins Out concluded by urging other teams and leagues to remain vigilant in addressing similar incidents and to prioritize inclusion over controversy.
About Truth Wins Out
Truth Wins Out is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that works to advance liberty and democracy, protect the rights of LGBTQ people and other minorities, combat religious extremism, and fight against the spread of disinformation.
