Portland Trail Blazers Terminate Broadcaster Braiden Bell

The Portland Trail Blazers terminated the employment of newly hired broadcaster Braiden Bell after past racist and sexist social media posts surfaced on X, formerly Twitter. Team officials confirmed the decision following a review of the commentary.

Portland Team Officials Issue Zero-Tolerance Decision

The franchise acted swiftly after local news station KGW News uncovered public posts authored by Bell in 2012 and 2013, when he was a teenager at the time of publication. The discovered messages contained derogatory remarks targeting Asian individuals, alongside other offensive commentary.

“The Portland Trail Blazers apply a zero-tolerance policy toward racist, sexist, or hurtful remarks,” the franchise stated in an official release. “The social media publications of our recently announced sports broadcaster constitute a flagrant violation of team and league regulations, as well as our values and expectations. Consequently, we will not retain this broadcaster.”

Old social media posts disrupt Bell's Trail Blazers role

Prior to his hiring by the Trail Blazers to cover team matchups, Bell worked as a broadcaster for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA. The sudden disclosure of his decade-old X account posts — which were quickly switched to private status as the controversy grew — upended his promotion to the Pacific Northwest franchise just as he stepped into the new role.

The incident drew immediate comparisons across European and domestic media regarding the durability of digital footprints left from adolescence, running parallel to unrelated political scrutiny involving public figures like Jordan Bardella in France.

KGW News finds old X posts by Braiden Bell

When were the social media posts originally published?

Records show the messages on X were posted by Braiden Bell in 2012 and 2013.

Which professional sports teams were involved in Bell’s broadcasting career?

Bell previously worked with the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA before accepting the commentary position with the Portland Trail Blazers.

How did the discovery of the posts come to light?

Local television station KGW News discovered the historical posts on X prior to the commencement of his broadcast duties with the franchise.