Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff finally had a moment to reflect on the shocking turn of events recently involving Jaden Ivey. Ivey was waived by the Chicago Bulls on Monday following his controversial remarks about religion and the LGBTQA community.

Bickerstaff built a relationship with Ivey as his former coach in Detroit. He addressed the jarring comments that surfaced on Instagram and explained where he believes they could have come from with his former guard.

“Having a built relationship with J.I. and feeling like you know his character and his heart is one thing. For him to go through what he's gone through has been extremely difficult for him, as far as how he was playing, the injuries, trying to make a comeback, and trying to overcome that,” Bickerstaff stated. “I don't think we can overlook the human aspect of all these things and how that impacts people and their decisions.”

Ivey's NBA career was going down a difficult recovery path after suffering a drastic leg injury back in 2025. He snapped his fibula in a game against the Orlando Magic going for a loose ball.

After starting for the Pistons all season and putting up career high scoring numbers, his game struggled to regain its place after the injury. He was forced to miss the rest of the season and needed surgery to heal it. The tough road continued as Ivey missed several more months of the 2025-26 season as he opted for knee surgery during the preseason.

Ivey went from a featured role as a prominent starter playing extended minutes to a backup role with a minutes restriction. As the Pistons continued to develop with other pieces, his role in Detroit became expendable. He was traded to the Bulls at the trade deadline for guard Kevin Huerter. Ivey only played four games with Chicago before being shut down for injury, then being waived this week by the franchise.

Bickerstaff built a lot of faith and support in Ivey after a tough tenure under former head coach Monty Williams in his second season. Bickerstaff did share support of the diversity that is promoted by the league.

“I also believe the NBA is one of the most inclusive environments in pro sports,” Bickerstaff said. “It's a genuine thing that celebrates different ethnicities, heritages, sexual preferences, whatever it may be. The NBA brings people together, and I think that's the great thing about our sport. We understand the responsibility as you live that day-to-day, by giving people the opportunity to be who they are. If we don't believe the same thing, as long as your beliefs don't infringe upon me, you have a right to have your beliefs and be the person that you are.

“This environment should be an environment that supports that and gives people the opportunity to be the best version of themselves. No matter who that is or what they believe, or what choices they make that don't impact or infringe on other people.”

Ivey's views were shared live on Instagram throughout this week. He questioned the intentions of the NBA with their inclusion of Pride Month, hip hop music, and other controversial statements.