Within hours of launching a new chapter in their broadcast booth, the Portland Trail Blazers pivoted and changed direction.

Portland announced Thursday that it had hired Braiden Bell, a 29-year-old broadcaster who previously worked with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and the G League’s Valley Suns, as its new television play-by-play announcer.

By nightfall, Bell was out of the job.

The decision came after a KGW reporter uncovered social media posts from Bell’s account dating to 2012 and 2013, when Bell was around 15 years old. The posts included derogatory comments about Asian people and women. KGW reported that it did not find similar offensive posts from Bell in his adult years.

The Trail Blazers in a social media post said the posts violated team and league policies.

“The Portland Trail Blazers have zero tolerance for racist, sexist, or harmful comments. 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 organization expressed regret to supporters while admitting it fell short of established benchmarks during the vetting procedure.

Age and accountability

Bell’s posts are more than a decade old, and he was a minor when they were written. He is now 29.

That distinction has been central to discussions of Portland’s decision. Some reaction to the firing has questioned whether comments made by a 15-year-old should determine the professional future of an adult more than a decade later, particularly because reporting has not identified similar offensive posts from Bell as an adult.

Those conversations doesn’t dispute the nature of the social posts. Instead, it brings conversation around whether conduct from adolescence should be evaluated differently from conduct as an adult and whether evidence of personal growth should factor into an employer’s decision.

The Blazers took a different approach, emphasizing that their play-by-play role is a public representative of the franchise and that the position carries expectations for both broadcasting ability and character.

Bell had already been publicly introduced before the old posts were discovered. He was set to replace longtime voice Kevin Calabro, who had held the role since 2016.

“Rip City, thank you for giving me the chance to call games for the best fans in the league,” said Bell before his firing. “As we get to know each other, my goal is to connect you with the action on the court. My guarantee to you is that you’ll be able to hear my excitement and love for this game night in and night out. I’m truly honored to join this amazing community.”

The team acknowledged that it had failed to identify Bell’s post before announcing his hiring.

Bell has not publicly commented on the firing. His X account was later made private.

A broader standard for broadcasters

The Bell situation comes as sports networks and teams have increasingly faced decisions about how an announcer’s conduct away from the broadcast booth affects his or her professional role.

CBS and Tony Romo announced Friday that they had mutually agreed to part ways after the longtime lead NFL analyst had been on leave following his July arrest in Wisconsin. Romo pleaded no contest in September. CBS had previously said its decision to place him on leave reflected concern about the impact of the situation on the network’s image and brand.

Fox Sports also confirmed in November 2025 that Mark Sanchez was no longer with the network after he was arrested in Indianapolis. Sanchez, who had been working as an NFL analyst, was facing criminal charges stemming from the incident. Fox did not provide additional details about its decision.

Those situations involved recent adult conduct and are different from Bell’s teenage social media posts. But together, they bring light to the broader scrutiny facing broadcasters, who increasingly are treated as public representatives of the organizations that employ them.

For Portland, the immediate issue is more straightforward: The team must find another television play-by-play announcer less than three weeks before the 2026-27 season begins.

The Blazers open the season Oct. 21 at home against the Phoenix Suns.