The Portland Trail Blazers fired Braiden Bell after he shared social media posts dating back to when he was 15 years old. The team had recently hired Bell as their new play-by-play announcer, praising him for being “authentic” and a “great fit.”
However, the organization terminated his role following reports of comments described by the team as “racist,” “sexist,” and “harmful.”
Examples from Bell’s posts include:
– In 2012: “I’m not racist at all.. But not gonna lie.. Asian people piss me off! Hahaha Honest”
– Another post: “Gotta give a shoutout to all the big girls out there and those closet whores. BigUps”
– Additional posts from 2013: “We got a slut alert on aisle 10,” and “Girls these nights … Smh. ThirstyForTheD.”
The Trail Blazers stated they have zero tolerance for comments that violate team policies and values, leading to Bell’s dismissal. The organization also apologized to fans and residents of Portland, emphasizing: “Everyone … should feel welcome and safe.”
Oregon law allows juveniles to have their records expunged for serious crimes. Critics argued that firing someone over social media posts made at age 15 is inconsistent with this principle.
