Play-by-play broadcaster Braiden Bell, fired by the Portland Trail Blazers on the same day the NBA team announced his hiring on Thursday, Oct. 1, broke his silence a day later.
“I am deeply sorry for the language that I used on Twitter,” Bell wrote on X on Friday. “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.”
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Portland Trail Blazers fire ASU Alum Braiden Bell from new broadcaster position hours after hiring announced. pic.twitter.com/nJmT5DgPbX
— KOLDNews (@KOLDNews) October 2, 2026
The Blazers’ sudden about-face came after racist and misogynistic posts Bell, now 29, made as a teenager surfaced online.
KGW reporter Devon Haskins identified the offensive posts, which remained active on Bell’s account after his hiring. The posts included offensive comments targeting Asian people and derogatory remarks about women.
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KGW’s review did not find offensive tweets from Bell after he became an adult.
“The Portland Trail Blazers have zero tolerance for racist, sexist, or harmful comments,” the Blazers wrote in a statement announcing their decision. “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.”
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