A super short tenure
Talk about a major L. The Portland Trail Blazers officially parted ways with their new play-by-play announcer, Braiden Bell, just hours after announcing him as the voice of the franchise. It’s giving instant regret. The team pulled the plug after learning about racist and misogynistic posts Bell made back in 2012 and 2013.
The receipts
Bell is currently 29, but those tweets from his teen years came back to haunt him. The offensive posts were flagged by KGW, which noted that Bell’s social media activity shifted to focus strictly on sports starting in 2015. His account is now set to private.
In a statement, the Blazers kept it real: "The Portland Trail Blazers have zero tolerance for racist, sexist or harmful comments. We did not meet our own bar in this process, and for that we apologize to Blazers fans and to Rip City."
What happens next?
Before this, Bell was the voice for the Phoenix Mercury and the G-League's Valley Sun. Now, the Blazers are scrambling. With the 2026-27 season opener against the Phoenix Suns less than three weeks away on Oct. 21, they need to find a new broadcaster fast. This search comes as part of a massive overhaul of the team’s broadcast operations under new owner Tom Dundon, which already saw veteran Kevin Calabro exit the booth.
Why it matters
This situation serves as a massive wake-up call for organizations everywhere: check the receipts before you sign the contract. The Blazers are now in a high-pressure race to find a new voice that actually aligns with their values before the season tips off.
