NBA Team Fires New Broadcaster Hours After Hiring Due to Resurfaced Racist and Misogynistic Posts

The Portland Trail Blazers have fired their newly hired play-by-play broadcaster, Braiden Bell, on the same day he was appointed, following the resurfacing of racist and misogynistic posts he made as a teenager. The team announced the termination hours after hiring Bell, stating that his past social media activity violated team and league policies.

These posts, which included racist remarks about Asian people and derogatory comments about women, were made in 2012 and 2013, when Bell was reportedly 15 years old. The social media account used for these posts was the same one Bell still uses for sports commentary, according to KGW in Portland.

"The Portland Trail Blazers have zero tolerance for racist, sexist, or harmful comments," the team said in a statement. "Social media posts made by our recently announced play-by-play broadcaster are in clear violation of team and league policies, as well as our values and expectations. Therefore, we will not be moving forward with this broadcaster." The team acknowledged a lapse in their hiring process, stating, "We did not meet our own bar in this process, and for that we apologize to Blazers fans and to Rip City." They committed to ensuring that their next hire would reflect the values of inclusivity and safety.

Bell was hired to replace Kevin Calabro, who had served as the Trail Blazers' play-by-play voice since 2016 before departing for the Minnesota Timberwolves after a contract dispute. The franchise has experienced a tumultuous offseason, marked by new ownership under Tom Dundon, significant staff layoffs, a coaching change, and the acquisition of player Ja Morant. Despite these challenges, veteran player Damian Lillard is set to return after recovering from an Achilles tendon injury that sidelined him for the entire previous season.