{"id":2585723,"date":"2026-03-31T14:12:01","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T18:12:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nba-protects-players-accused-of-violent-crimes-while-targeting-christians-for-saying-christian-things\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T14:14:52","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T18:14:52","slug":"nba-protects-players-accused-of-violent-crimes-while-targeting-christians-for-saying-christian-things","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nba-protects-players-accused-of-violent-crimes-while-targeting-christians-for-saying-christian-things\/","title":{"rendered":"NBA Protects Players Accused Of Crimes But Targets Christians"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnba-protects-players-accused-of-violent-crimes-while-targeting-christians-for-saying-christian-things%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2585723&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Federalist article argues that the NBA applies a double standard in judging player conduct, tolerating some serious crimes while punishing players for expressing Christian beliefs. It centers on Chicago Bulls guard Jaden Ivey, who was waived by the Bulls after he described Pride Month as \u201cunrighteous,\u201d with the team saying his conduct was detrimental to the squad. Ivey maintained that his remarks reflected his Christian faith, not harmful behavior.<\/p>\n<p>Key points the piece highlights:<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The author claims the NBA has punished Ivey for religious expression, while other players with far more serious or violent issues have faced lighter consequences or none at all.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Examples cited include Miles bridges (<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >domestic violence case<\/a> with a 30-game suspension), Jaxson Hayes (arrested on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/vp-harris-lies-about-promoting-bail-fund-that-freed-violent-criminals\/\" title=\"VP Harris Lies About Promoting Bail Fund That Freed Violent Criminals\">domestic violence-related charges<\/a> with no notable NBA punishment), Kevin Porter Jr.(four-game suspension for domestic violence, later treated as served), James Bouknight (gun possession and DWI charges with minimal career impact), and Montrezl Harrell (felony drug trafficking charges reduced to a misdemeanor).<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The article argues that the league tolerates domestic violence, DUI, and drug trafficking but disciplines players for religious or anti-LGBTQ-yet-orthodox statements, framing Ivey\u2019s firing as evidence of a broader bias.<\/p>\n<p>Author and context:<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Brianna Lyman, an elections correspondent for The Federalist, writes the piece, which is presented as an opinion on perceived inconsistencies in NBA disciplinary standards.The article is tagged with topics like Basketball, Chicago Bulls, christianity, Faith, Jaden Ivey, LGBTQ, NBA, Pride Month, and sports.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-body body-md bdr-top-black pt-30\">\n<div class=\"row justify-content-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12\">\n<figure class=\"article-thumbnail mb-30 mb-sm-60\">\n<div class=\"article-thumbnail-caption d-flex align-items-center justify-content-md-end label-xs mt-15\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-camera me-10\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Image Credit<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/esidery\/status\/2038675084412338572?s=20\">Evan Sidery\/X <\/a>       <\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-share text-center article-share-simple\">\n<h5 class=\"label-sm mb-10\">Share<\/h5>\n<ul class=\"article-share-list list-unstyled m-0 p-0\">\n<li class=\"article-share-facebook m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/03\/31\/nba-protects-players-accused-of-violent-crimes-while-targeting-christians-for-saying-christian-things\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-facebook\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Facebook<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-twitter m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=NBA%20Protects%20Players%20Accused%20Of%20Violent%20Crimes%20While%20Targeting%20Christians%20For%20Saying%20Christian%20Things&amp;url=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/03\/31\/nba-protects-players-accused-of-violent-crimes-while-targeting-christians-for-saying-christian-things\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-twitter\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Twitter<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-truth-social m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/share?title=NBA%20Protects%20Players%20Accused%20Of%20Violent%20Crimes%20While%20Targeting%20Christians%20For%20Saying%20Christian%20Things&amp;url=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/03\/31\/nba-protects-players-accused-of-violent-crimes-while-targeting-christians-for-saying-christian-things\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" fill=\"currentColor\" style=\"width:36px;height:auto;\" viewbox=\"0 0 92 93\"><path d=\"M69.444 55.716H56.772v10.37h12.672zM64.487 37.795V27.32H38.666v38.664h13.18v-28.19zM21.05 27.321h12.653v10.471H21.051z\" https:><\/path><\/svg>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Truth Social<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-link m-0\">       <button data-clipboard-text=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/03\/31\/nba-protects-players-accused-of-violent-crimes-while-targeting-christians-for-saying-christian-things\/\" data-tooltip-content=\"Copied!\" class=\"clip tooltip\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-link-variant\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Copy Article Link<\/span>       <\/button>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-email m-0\">       <a href=\"mailto:?subject=NBA%20Protects%20Players%20Accused%20Of%20Violent%20Crimes%20While%20Targeting%20Christians%20For%20Saying%20Christian%20Things&amp;body=%20https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/03\/31\/nba-protects-players-accused-of-violent-crimes-while-targeting-christians-for-saying-christian-things\/\" target=\"_blank\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-email\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article via Email<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-email m-0\"><span class=\"printfriendly pf-button  pf-alignleft\"><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/thefederalist.com\/#\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\"window.print(); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF &amp; Email\"><span id=\"printfriendly-text2\" class=\"pf-button-text\"><i class=\"mdi mdi-printer\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p>Apparently in the NBA, assaulting a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bill-oreilly-and-chris-cuomo-erupt-in-on-air-shouting-match-after-oreilly-tells-the-truth-about-kamala-harris\/\" title=\"Bill O&#039;Reilly and Chris Cuomo Erupt in On-Air Shouting Match After O&#039;Reilly Tells The Truth About Kamala Harris\">woman won&#038;rsquo<\/a>;t cost you your career &mdash; but professing Christianity will.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Chicago Bulls axed Jaden Ivey on Monday after he called so-called Pride Month &ldquo;unrighteousness.&rdquo; Ivey said that Pride Month is proclaimed on billboards, in the streets, and by the NBA.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2 d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-188466876\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1463670073398-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&ldquo;Unrighteousness,&rdquo; Ivey said. &ldquo;So, how is it that one can&rsquo;t speak righteousness? Who are they say that this man is crazy?&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Chicago Bulls <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/chicagobulls\/status\/2038738109521633634?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">responded<\/a> by saying the Bulls &ldquo;waived guard Jaden Ivey due to conduct detrimental to the team.&rdquo; Ivey pushed back on the claim his &ldquo;conduct&rdquo; was &ldquo;detrimental,&rdquo; saying he was a good team player and &ldquo;did nothing but practice with them and play with them.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;So why is it that the NBA and the Chicago Bulls say that I&rsquo;m detrimental to the team? How? Because I believe in the truth? Because I know Jesus is the way,&nbsp;the truth, and the life?&rdquo; Ivey continued.<\/p>\n<p>But that <em>is<\/em> where the NBA draws the line. When it comes to conduct that is <em>actually<\/em> &ldquo;detrimental&rdquo; &mdash; like beating your girlfriend or&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/nbacrimelibrary.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">trafficking drugs<\/a> &mdash; you get a pass. But dare profess the gospel, and the league has different standards.<\/p>\n<p>A few examples underline the point: Charlotte Hornets forward&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/news\/miles-bridges-domestic-violence-case-timeline-charges-sentencing-suspension-information-for-hornets-forward\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Miles Bridges<\/a>&nbsp;was arrested in 2022 after allegedly assaulting his girlfriend while his children were present. He pleaded no contest to a felony charge of injuring a child&rsquo;s parent, and the NBA suspended him for 30 games.<\/p>\n<p>Los Angeles Lakers center&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nba\/story\/_\/id\/42160186\/nba-reopening-probe-lakers-hayes-video-released\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Jaxson Hayes<\/a>&nbsp;was arrested in 2021 for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nba\/story\/_\/id\/33141181\/new-orleans-pelicans-jaxson-hayes-charged-domestic-violence-battery-police-officer-connection-july-arrest\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">several misdemeanors<\/a>, including domestic violence charges. For that, the NBA did nothing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The NBA did give Milwaukee Bucks&rsquo;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nba\/story\/_\/id\/38548898\/kevin-porter-barred-rockets-domestic-violence-arrest\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kevin Porter Jr<\/a>. a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/nba\/news\/nba-concludes-its-kevin-porter-jr-investigation-suspension-covered-in-time-already-missed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">four-game suspension<\/a> after he allegedly beat his girlfriend in a September 2023 attack so vicious it left her with a fractured neck vertebra and other injuries, but ruled that Porter had served the suspension in the season he spent away from the league.<\/p>\n<p>While a member of the Charlotte Hornets,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nba\/story\/_\/id\/34830965\/police-hornets-james-bouknight-holding-gun-dwi-arrest\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">James Bouknight<\/a>&nbsp;was charged with a DWI after he was found unconscious in a vehicle in a parking lot. He reportedly had a firearm in his hand. Montrezl Harrell (also a Hornets player at the time) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nba\/story\/_\/id\/34494199\/montrezl-harrell-felony-marijuana-charge-reduced-misdemeanor\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">was arrested<\/a> for felony drug trafficking. Neither of their careers was ended over conduct most would deem &ldquo;detrimental.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Yet the Chicago Bulls cut Ivey for professing his Christian faith.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The NBA is willing to tolerate domestic violence, drunk driving, and drug trafficking but won&rsquo;t tolerate any dissent from left-wing LGBT thought-orthodoxy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<div class=\"article-author-description fst-italic\">      Brianna Lyman is an elections correspondent at The Federalist. Brianna graduated from Fordham University with a degree in International Political Economy. Her work has been featured on Newsmax, Fox News, Fox Business and RealClearPolitics. Follow Brianna on X: @briannalyman2<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-author mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-30 bdr-top-bold-black\">\n<div class=\"row g-0 align-items-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6\">\n<div class=\"article-author-profile d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center justify-content-md-start\">\n<div class=\"article-author-details\">\n<div class=\"label-md\">Brianna Lyman<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-author-twitter label-sm d-flex align-items-center mt-10\">             <i class=\"mdi mdi-twitter me-5\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>             <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Visit on Twitter<\/span>            <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/briannalyman2\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"text-decoration-none\">@briannalyman2<\/a>           <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6 d-flex justify-content-center justify-content-md-end mt-15 mt-md-0\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/author\/briannalyman\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">More Articles<\/a>     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-tags bdr-top-black mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-15 pt-md-45\">\n<ul class=\"list-unstyled d-flex flex-wrap align-items-center mb-0 mx-n10 p-0\">\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/basketball\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Basketball<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/chicago-bulls\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Chicago Bulls<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/christianity\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Christianity<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/faith\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Faith<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/jaden-ivey\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Jaden Ivey<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/lgbtq\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">LGBTQ<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/nba\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">NBA<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/pride-month\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">pride month<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/sports-2\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">sports<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NBA: assault not career-ending; faith costs jobs<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":2585724,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-1.16.11-PM-scaled-e1774977462649.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[8049,7072,5102,7873,9502],"class_list":["post-2585723","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-accountability","tag-christians","tag-discrimination","tag-nba","tag-players"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-1.16.11-PM-scaled-e1774977462649.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2585723","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/74"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2585723"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2585723\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2585727,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2585723\/revisions\/2585727"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2585724"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2585723"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2585723"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2585723"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}