Trail Blazers Dismiss New Announcer Braiden Bell Following Social Media Controversy

The Portland Trail Blazers fired play-by-play announcer Braiden Bell on the same day he was hired due to inappropriate social media posts from 2012-13.

The Portland Trail Blazers hired and subsequently fired play-by-play announcer Braiden Bell on the same day after social media posts from 2012 and 2013 surfaced. According to an ESPN report, the team announced the dismissal on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2026, stating the 29-year-old broadcaster violated league and team policies regarding racist, sexist, or harmful comments.

A reporter for KGW in Portland identified the posts, which were written when Bell was approximately 15 years old. The content included misogynistic remarks and a post stating "Asian people piss me off." Bell issued an apology via his X account on Friday, describing the language as wrong but noting the tweets were written 14 years ago and do not reflect his current character.

Bell was slated to replace Kevin Calabro, who served as the team's play-by-play voice starting in 2016 before departing in July over a subprime contract offer. Before his brief hiring in Portland, Bell spent two years broadcasting for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and the G League's Valley Suns. The Trail Blazers organization apologized to fans for failing to meet their own standards during the hiring process. These events occur amid scrutiny of cost-cutting measures by new owner Tom Dundon, who recently proposed that a $600 million renovation of the Moda Center be funded entirely by public money.