Trail Blazers cut new announcer same day after old posts surface

The Portland Trail Blazers named Braiden Bell their play-by-play announcer and then parted ways with him on the same day once a batch of inappropriate social media posts from his teenage years became public.

Zero-tolerance stance and apology

The franchise stated it maintains zero tolerance for racist, sexist or harmful comments and that the posts by the newly announced broadcaster clearly violated team and league policies along with its core values and expectations. As a result the club said it would not proceed with him. Officials added that they failed to meet their own bar during the hiring process and apologized to Blazers fans and the Rip City community. They stressed that everyone associated with the team should feel welcome and safe, promised the eventual broadcaster would reflect those principles, and vowed to do better.

Posts, résumé and the open seat

The messages in question dated to 2012 and 2013, when Bell was about 15. They included remarks in which he claimed not to be racist while expressing anger toward Asian people, plus multiple misogynistic comments. Bell, now 29, had spent the past two years calling games for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and the G League’s Valley Suns. Neither Bell nor his agent provided comment. New owner Tom Dundon has drawn scrutiny for various cost-cutting steps and has maintained that only public funds should finance a 600 million dollar renovation of the Moda Center.