New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said he was walking a "fine line" after running back TreVeyon Henderson appeared to defend anti-LGBTQ comments made by former Chicago Bulls guard Jaden Ivey.
The Bulls waived Ivey on Monday for conduct detrimental to the team following a video in which he criticized the NBA's Pride Month acknowledgments as celebrating "unrighteousness."[1]
Henderson shared the video on social media, which went viral, and responded with a Bible verse from Matthew 5:10: "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven."[1]
Vrabel was asked about the post on Tuesday. "I think there is a fine line. I want to tell you, I love TreVeyon," he said. "I love the person. He cares deeply about our team. He cares deeply about his faith. He cares deeply about his family, his wife, the people in our building. And so I want them to be able to express what they believe in their heart and in their mind, but also want to make sure that they’re educated. And we want to be inclusive."[1]
"Everything we want to do [is] to provide an environment for people to want to feel comfortable, but also to share their personal beliefs. And then also, we represent the team. And we represent the organization," Vrabel added.[1]
Asked if he would speak with Henderson or the team about the post, Vrabel replied, "I usually try to," while noting, "(We’re) never going to tell them how to feel."[1]
"(We) certainly want to make sure that they understand that their actions represent something more than just themselves," Vrabel said. "And so I do think there’s a line. We’re always talking about those kinds of things. We’re trying to educate them, no different than myself or you guys or my kids."[1]
Ivey, 24, has posted similar videos in recent weeks. He has previously discussed dealing with depression.[1] In the video, he said: "The world can proclaim LGBTQ, right? They proclaim Pride Month and the NBA. They proclaim it. They show it to the world. They say, ‘Come join us for Pride Month to celebrate unrighteousness.’ ... So, how is it that one can’t speak righteousness?"[1]
Sources
- Fox News Digital, "PATRIOTS STAR APPEARS TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR EX-BULLS PLAYER AFTER RANT AGAINST NBA'S PRIDE MONTH CELEBRATION", accessed November 2024, https://www.foxnews.com/sports
- The Associated Press, "NFL", accessed November 2024, https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
