Brief

Portland Trail Blazers fire new broadcaster Braiden Bell over racist, misogynistic teen posts

Bell, 29, was let go after X posts from 2012‑13 containing anti‑Asian slurs and sexist language were uncovered.

By Felo News Desk · Published Fri, 02 Oct 2026 12:06:23 GMT

The Portland Trail Blazers terminated Braiden Bell as their television play‑by‑play broadcaster on Thursday night, hours after announcing his hiring, after X posts from when he was a teenager surfaced containing racist and misogynistic language.

The posts, dated Dec. 9, 2012 and Feb. 13, 2013, included a comment that "Asian people piss me off!" and references to women as "sluts" and "w—s," according to KGW in Portland, which alerted the team to the material.

In a statement, the Trail Blazers said they have "zero tolerance for racist, sexist, or harmful comments" and that Bell's posts violated team and league policies. The organization apologized to fans and pledged to ensure future broadcasters reflect its values.

Bell, now 29, had been hired to replace longtime voice Kevin Calabro, who left after being offered a "subprime" contract, per The Oregonian. No offensive posts from Bell's adult years were found.

Key facts

Braiden Bell was fired by the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night after teen‑era racist and misogynistic posts were found. (nypost.com)
The offending X posts were from Dec. 9, 2012 and Feb. 13, 2013, when Bell was about 15‑16 years old. (nypost.com)
The Trail Blazers said they have zero tolerance for racist, sexist or harmful comments. (nypost.com)