NBA stars misquoted online after Chicago Bulls waive outspoken player
- Published on April 10, 2026 at 19:54
- 2 min read
- By Sahas WIJEWARDENE, AFP USA
Social media posts are claiming to show various professional basketball players advocating for guard Jaden Ivey, who was waived by the NBA's Chicago Bulls after making anti-LGBTQ remarks. But the statement attributed to Victor Wembanyama, Tyrese Maxey and other NBA stars appears to be fabricated; AFP found no evidence of the athletes saying the words ascribed to them, and the videos included in the posts only offer snippets from unrelated interviews.
"San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama on the Bulls waiving star guard Jaden Ivey: 'I stand with Jaden Ivey on everything he said. If they cut him, they might as well cut me too,'" says a March 31, 2026 post on X, which includes a clip of the French phenom speaking at a press conference.
Similar posts attributed the same quote to multiple other NBA stars, including Lebron James, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Tyrese Maxey and Kawhi Leonard -- as well as to athletes and managers from other US professional sports leagues, such as the National Football League, Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League. Additional posts circulated on Facebook.
The posts reference the Chicago Bulls' decision to waive Ivey for "conduct detrimental to the team," which came hours after he posted an Instagram livestream during which he criticized the NBA for celebrating LGBTQ Pride Month. Ivey also took aim at Catholicism in an exchange with a commenter.
Chicago had acquired Ivey, the fifth pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, in a three-team trade in February. He appeared in only four games for the Bulls before being ruled out for the season with a sore left knee.
The posts claiming Wembanyama and others announced they "stand with Jaden Ivey on everything he said" are false, however.
AFP found no reliable news reports crediting such a quote to the athletes named on social media.
The videos attached to the posts do not show them making the statement in question, either. The clips were taken from separate, unrelated press conferences.
The Wembanyama clip, for example, was drawn from his postgame press conference on March 24, 2026 following the Spurs' victory over the Miami Heat (archived here and here). Wembanyama discussed why he believed he deserves to win the league's Most Valuable Player award. At no point did he mention Ivey in the segment.
The other clips are from similarly unrelated media availabilities. In proper context, the video of Maxey shows him talking about a dunk in February, while the clip of Leonard shows him answering a question about the league's rules for awards consideration (archived here and here).
The posts follow a pattern of engagement farming common on social media during high-profile or controversial news events, according to which clips or photos of stars are stripped of context or paired with fabricated quotes to drive shares and reactions.
AFP reached out to the agents representing several of the athletes, including Wembanyama, but no responses were immediately forthcoming.
AFP previously debunked engagement farming content here and here.
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