The Portland Trail Blazers fired newly hired television play-by-play announcer Braiden Bell on October 2, 2026, just hours after his appointment, following the emergence of offensive and racist social media posts he published as a teenager over a decade ago.
Portland scheduled its home opener against the Phoenix Suns for October 21. The sudden dismissal leaves the franchise scrambling for a broadcaster with less than three weeks remaining before the 2026–27 NBA regular season tips off.
Portland Fires Braiden Bell Hours After Hiring Him
The Trail Blazers announced the hiring of 29-year-old Braiden Bell on October 1, presenting him as the new television voice to work alongside color commentator Lamar Hurd and courtside reporter Brooke Olzendam on the Rip City Television Network. Bell had recently served as the play-by-play broadcaster for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and the NBA G League’s Valley Suns, credentials that initially made him an attractive candidate. Before joining the Mercury and the Valley Suns, Bell built a diverse broadcasting background covering multiple sports and collegiate events. A graduate of Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism in 2019, Bell called games for California Baptist University across seven sports before returning to his alma mater. His collegiate resume features high-profile assignments for the Western Athletic Conference and the Pac-12 Conference across ESPN+ and SiriusXM, encompassing postseason tournaments in basketball, soccer, and baseball. At Arizona State, he also hosted Sun Devil Extra alongside ASU Athletic Director Graham Rossini and a weekly coaches’ show featuring Head Baseball Coach Willie Bloomquist.
The tenure unraveled rapidly after a journalist from Portland television station KGW discovered objectionable posts on Bell’s X account. The local news outlet flagged messages from 2012 and 2013, when Bell was approximately 15 years old. The uncovered posts included derogatory remarks about women and a specific statement targeting Asian individuals.
In a December 2012 post cited by reporters, Bell wrote, I’m not racist at all.. But not gonna lie.. Asian people piss me off! Hahaha #Honest.
Additional uncovered posts from the same period included misogynistic language and terms referring to women.
Trail Blazers Issue Zero-Tolerance Statement on Firing
Hours after the initial hiring announcement, the team terminated Bell’s contract and released an official statement condemning the remarks.
The Portland Trail Blazers have zero tolerance for racist, sexist or harmful comments.
Portland Trail Blazers, via Yahoo Sports
The franchise acknowledged shortcomings in its vetting procedures. The play-by-play role carries a long legacy of excellence, on the broadcast and in character, and we hold that standard without exception. We did not meet our own bar in this process, and for that we apologize to Blazers fans and to Rip City,
the team stated, adding that it would ensure future broadcasting appointments reflect a safe and welcoming environment.
Trail Blazers Search for Kevin Calabro Replacement
Bell had been selected to replace play-by-play announcer Kevin Calabro, who served as the voice of the franchise since 2016. Calabro departed the organization after rejecting a contract offer, subsequently signing with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Portland must now identify a candidate to handle television play-by-play duties before opening night against Phoenix. The abrupt vacancy compounds an offseason marked by turnover within the team’s broadcast operations under owner Tom Dundon.
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