Who is Braiden Bell? The broadcaster fired by the Trail Blazers for controversial racist and misogynistic posts
The 29-year-old broadcaster had been preparing for his first NBA play-by-play role before old social media posts emerged
B raiden Bell ’s first NBA broadcasting job ended before he ever called a game.
The Trail Blazers fired the 29-year-old broadcaster Thursday night, roughly eight hours after announcing his hiring, after social media posts Bell made as a teenager in 2012 and 2013 resurfaced.
The posts included derogatory comments about Asian people and women. One December 2012 post read, “I’m not racist at all.. But not gonna lie.. Asian people piss me off! Hahaha #Honest,” while other posts contained misogynistic language.
Portland acted quickly after the posts were brought to the organization’s attention.
“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.”
Bell was rising broadcasting talent
Before the controversy, Bell ’s career had been moving steadily upward. He graduated from Arizona State University in 2019 and worked college games for Cal Baptist and Arizona State on ESPN+.
He later moved into professional basketball, calling games for the Phoenix Suns’ G League affiliate and the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury .
Portland selected Bell after an extensive search to replace longtime broadcaster Kevin Calabro , who left the organization after the sides failed to agree on a new contract.
Bell reportedly impressed the Trail Blazers with his on-air presence, chemistry with analyst Lamar Hurd and potential for growth. The final choice had come down to Bell and Kyle Draper , who previously worked games for the Sacramento Kings .
The job would have represented Bell’s first full-time NBA play-by-play opportunity.
Trail Blazers failed their own standard
The team’s statement went beyond condemning Bell ’s past posts. Portland also accepted responsibility for not identifying them before announcing the hire.
“The play-by-play role carries a long legacy of excellence, on the broadcast and in character, and we hold that standard without exception,” the Blazers said. “We did not meet our own bar in this process, and for that we apologize to Blazers fans and to Rip City.”
The organization added that it wanted everyone connected to Rip City to feel “welcome and safe” and promised to do better when selecting its next broadcaster.
The reporting included in the source material noted that no offensive posts from Bell ’s adult years had been identified. Bell had also not publicly responded to his firing.
Portland must now decide whether to return to Draper or reopen the search entirely.
Bell , meanwhile, went from being introduced as the new voice of the Trail Blazers to losing the role before his first broadcast, all in the space of one day.
