Portland Trail Blazers Fire New Play-by-Play Broadcaster Hours After Hiring Over Social Media Posts
The Portland Trail Blazers fired their newly hired play-by-play broadcaster, Braiden Bell, hours after his announcement due to social media posts that violated team and league policies against racist, sexist, and harmful comments.
Greenville Spartanburg Asheville Anderson, SC, October 2, 2026 — The Portland Trail Blazers terminated the contract of their newly hired play-by-play broadcaster, Braiden Bell, mere hours after his appointment was announced. The decision came swiftly following the emergence of social media posts attributed to Bell that reportedly contravened team and league policies.
Sources indicate the social media content included comments deemed racist, sexist, and otherwise harmful. These statements are understood to be in direct violation of the conduct standards set forth by both the NBA and the Trail Blazers organization. The team did not provide specific details regarding the content of the posts but confirmed that their policies were breached.
Bell had been introduced as the new voice for the Trail Blazers’ broadcasts. However, the tenure was cut extremely short once the problematic posts surfaced and were reviewed by team and league officials. The rapid termination underscores a zero-tolerance approach to discriminatory or harmful language within professional sports organizations.
The team has not yet announced any interim plans for filling the play-by-play broadcasting role or provided a timeline for a permanent replacement. Further information regarding the situation is expected to be released by the Portland Trail Blazers organization as it becomes available.
Story summarized from the original created by KPTV News staff, Jordan Gartner on www.foxcarolina.com, see more information here.
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