The Portland Trail Blazers fired Braiden Bell hours after announcing him as their new television play-by-play announcer due to offensive social media posts he made as a teenager. The team confirmed the decision on October 2, following a report by KGW that uncovered racist and misogynistic tweets from 2012 and 2013.
Bell, 29, issued a written apology on Twitter, saying the posts dated back to when he was 15 years old and do not reflect who he is today. “I am deeply sorry for the language that I used on Twitter,” Bell wrote, adding that he regrets the harm the posts caused and the fact that many people’s introduction to him came through those messages. He emphasized that those who know him understand the language was wrong and not representative of his current views.
KGW reporter Devon Haskins discovered the offensive tweets while covering Bell’s hiring. The posts included derogatory remarks about Asian people and degrading language about women. Haskins contacted the Trail Blazers on Thursday afternoon, after which the team moved quickly to sever ties with Bell. KGW’s review found no similar posts from Bell after he became an adult.
The Trail Blazers acknowledged their hiring process failed to uncover the tweets before Bell’s introduction. “The Portland Trail Blazers have zero tolerance for racist, sexist, or harmful comments,” the team said in a statement. It added that the posts violated both the team’s and the NBA’s standards, emphasizing the broadcaster role requires meeting expectations both on-air and in personal conduct.
The organization apologized to fans for the oversight and announced it would restart the search for a new play-by-play announcer ahead of the NBA season opener against the Phoenix Suns on October 21. Promotional materials and the original announcement introducing Bell were removed from the team’s platforms.
Bell had been chosen to replace Kevin Calabro, who left the Trail Blazers’ broadcast team during the offseason after calling games since 2016. Before the Portland opportunity, Bell spent two seasons calling Phoenix Mercury games in the WNBA and worked with the Phoenix Suns’ G League affiliate, the Valley Suns. His résumé also included stints at Arizona State, California Baptist, and national assignments for FS1.
Calabro has since joined the Minnesota Timberwolves broadcast team, leaving Portland in need of a new permanent voice. The Trail Blazers’ statement confirmed the franchise will ensure its next broadcaster reflects the standards it expects from team representatives.
As of now, the Trail Blazers remain without a permanent television play-by-play announcer with the regular season less than three weeks away.
According to Yahoo Sports.