Jaden Ivey says the fallout from his recent comments has extended beyond basketball, now impacting his personal life as well.
The former Chicago Bulls guard, who was recently released following a series of outspoken religious remarks that included criticism of homosexuality and broader NBA culture, spoke candidly during an Instagram Live session about the aftermath.
"Those who are around me, those who are my family members betraying me because of what I spoke," said Ivey. "The truth. Betraying me. Saying that I'm losing my mind. Saying that I'm crazy. Saying that I don't know the truth."
Ivey described feeling isolated, claiming that even those closest to him have begun to distance themselves as his statements gained attention online.
"These are my own family members who love me. My blood," he added. "Those who raised me said that I don't know the truth. 'Man, he's psycho.' He's this, he's that. Those are my own household. All because of the gospel. All because I said the truth."
Among the more personal revelations, Ivey said communication with his wife has broken down in the wake of the controversy.
"My wife is in here, and she's not even texting me," he said during the livestream.
Ivey and his wife Caitlyn share three children and kept their relationship out of the public eye, but his comments suggest recent tensions as the situation unfolds.
His departure from the Bulls followed a stretch of increasingly vocal behavior, where he publicly challenged teammates, media members, and aspects of the league's culture. The organization cited "conduct detrimental to the team" in its decision to waive him.
The situation has also drawn a reaction from Stephen A. Smith, who questioned Ivey's decision-making and warned about the long-term consequences of his actions.
"The first order of business is minding your own," Smith said on The Stephen A. Smith Show. "The second order of business is protecting your own and not doing stuff that's going to get in your own way, just because you wanted to express yourself on IG."
Smith went further, suggesting Ivey's actions may have damaged his career prospects.
"You got a future to think about, and you just put it in jeopardy because you wanted to express yourself for 42 minutes on IG live," he said. "Where's that going to get you? Is that worth your career?"
As it stands, Ivey's NBA future is uncertain, with his recent comments and release raising questions about his next opportunity in the league.
