The rise and sudden fall of NBA prospect Jaden Ivey
In short: From a top-five draft pick to being waived for conduct detrimental to the team, Jaden Ivey’s professional basketball career has been defined by explosive scoring and intense personal conviction. How did a rising star's public religious evangelism lead to his abrupt exit from the Chicago Bulls?
Jaden Ivey entered the NBA with immense pedigree. The son of Notre Dame women's basketball coach Niele Ivey and NFL veteran Javin Hunter, Ivey was a standout at Purdue University. After a stellar sophomore season where he earned All-American Second Team honors and averaged 17.3 points per game, he was selected fifth overall in the 2022 NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons.
His early professional years were marked by high-scoring performances, including a 37-point game against the Sacramento Kings in February 2024. However, his trajectory was frequently interrupted by physical setbacks, including a broken left fibula in early 2025 and subsequent knee surgeries. Despite these injuries, his talent remained evident, leading to a three-team trade to the Chicago Bulls in February 2026.
The climax of Ivey's career arrived not on the court, but via social media. In March 2026, Ivey live-streamed critical views regarding the NBA's Pride Month activities and disparaged Catholicism as a "false religion." This followed reports of his increasing evangelism within the Bulls locker room, which reportedly unsettled staff. On March 30, 2026, the Bulls waived him for conduct detrimental to the team.
While some observers, such as journalist Joe Cowley, suggested his dismissal stemmed from a pattern of behavior incompatible with professional locker room dynamics, Ivey maintained that his dismissal was a reaction to his preaching of Jesus Christ. His departure marked a sudden end to a career that had once promised much-anticipated stardom.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Jaden Ivey
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