Portland Trail Blazers announcer Braiden Bell has apologized for racist and misogynistic social media posts that led to his dismissal only hours after he was hired.
“I am deeply sorry for the language that I used on Twitter,” Bell said in a statement posted on X. “These tweets, while wrong, were written by me 14 years ago while I was only 15 years old and have no reflection of who I am today.
“I do not take lightly any harm it causes now. I regret this being my first impression to many of you online, but I can take solace in knowing that the people who truly know me understand that this is not the kind of person I am. Again, I’d like to apologize to anyone who was hurt by my words and will continue to always treat people with kindness and respect.”
The NBA franchise announced Bell’s hiring on Thursday, but fired him just hours later after KGW in Portland uncovered the offensive posts.
The messages were posted in 2012 and 2013, when Bell is believed to have been 15. They appeared on the same account he continues to use for sports commentary.
One post from December 2012 read: “I’m not racist at all.. But not gonna lie.. Asian people p*** me off! Hahaha #honest.”
In another message posted in November 2012, Bell wrote: “Gotta give a shoutout to all the big girls out there and those closet whores.”
He posted “We got a slut alert on aisle 10” in February 2013. That same month, another message read: “Girls these nights… Smh. #ThirstyForTheD.”
Braiden Bell was dismissed by the Trail Blazers after offensive posts from his teenage years resurfaced
The NBA team also discovered misogynistic messages and fired Bell on the day he was hired
Reporters uncovered racist posts Bell shared as a teenager in December 2012
KGW’s review of Bell’s social media history found that, by the end of 2015, his posts had shifted almost entirely toward sports.
“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 play-by-play role carries a long legacy of excellence, on the broadcast and in character, and we hold that standard without exception.
“We did not meet our own bar in this process, and for that we apologize to Blazers fans and to Rip City.
“We believe strongly that everyone who is a part of Rip City should feel welcome and safe and we will make sure that our new broadcaster reflects these values. We will do better.”
Bell had been brought in to replace Kevin Calabro, the Trail Blazers’ play-by-play announcer since 2016. Calabro departed for the Minnesota Timberwolves after saying Portland offered him a “subprime” contract to remain with the team.
The controversy adds to a turbulent offseason in Portland, which has included cuts made by the franchise’s new owner, disputes over arena renovations, the hiring of a new head coach and the addition of Ja Morant.
The offensive messages were posted on the account Bell still uses for sports commentary
Bell (above) had been hired to replace Kevin Calabro, who left for the Minnesota Timberwolves
It continues a rocky offseason for Portland, although they do have veteran Damian Lillard back
Tom Dundon became the face of the Blazers’ new ownership group before the end of last season, when the team went to the playoffs for the first time in five years. In the offseason, the Blazers laid off more than 70 staffers.
Tiago Splitter, an assistant who was promoted to head coach when Chauncey Billups was arrested last fall in a federal gambling probe, bolted for the Chicago Bulls this summer. The Blazers hired Micah Nori, who was an assistant with the Timberwolves.
Portland surprised many in late June by trading Jerami Grant and Kris Murray to the Grizzlies in exchange for Morant, a two-time All-Star who had a rocky tenure in Memphis.
One positive, however, is that Damian Lillard returns to play after a torn Achilles tendon sidelined him for all of last season.
Last summer, Lillard rejoined the Blazers, where he played for his first 11 seasons, after a two-year stint with the Milwaukee Bucks.
