Braiden Bell’s stint as the new face of the Portland Trail Blazers TV broadcast lasted about eight hours.
In a stunning turn of events, the team abruptly fired its new play-by-play commentator just hours after announcing the hire. The move came after a series of years-old offensive tweets from Bell came to light.
The tweets, written by Bell when he was a teenager, expressed racist and misogynistic views. KGW discovered the tweets and contacted the Blazers for comment, and the organization rescinded its contract offer to the 29-year-old broadcaster.
“The Portland Trail Blazers have zero tolerance for racist, sexist or prejudiced comments,” the team told The Oregonian/OregonLive via a statement. “The social media posts made by our recently announced play-by-play broadcaster are a blatant violation of team and league policies, as well as our values and expectations. Therefore, we will not be moving forward with this broadcaster.”
It’s unclear whether the Blazers will now turn to Kyle Draper — the candidate who finished second to Bell in their play-by-play quest — or whether they’ll open a new search altogether.
Bell posted his inappropriate tweets in 2012 and 2013 when he was a teenager, according to KGW. He created the account in 2011, according to his profile, and remains an active poster, although he has had access limited to only approved followers since Thursday’s controversy surfaced.
The offensive messages included inappropriate comments directed at women and Asians and some contained sexual innuendo.
The Blazers hired Bell to replace legendary play-by-play commentator Kevin Calabro, who left the organization this summer after his contract expired and the sides could not agree on an extension. The 70-year-old, who has called games for the Blazers for most of the past decade, is one of the most respected and experienced broadcasters in the NBA, with more than 40 years of experience.
Calabro expressed a desire to remain with the team, but decided to leave after receiving what he called a “subprime” contract extension offer. He has since joined the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Calabro’s exodus sparked an extensive search for a replacement, and a Blazers team source told The Oregonian/OregonLive that a “large pool” of candidates have expressed interest, including some with NBA play-by-play experience and time working at “flagship sports news” stations.
But Bell, a 2019 Arizona State University graduate, quickly impressed the organization with his on-air presence, growth potential and chemistry with color commentator Lamar Hurd. Ultimately, the search came down to Bell and Draper — who had previously called games for the Sacramento Kings — and the Blazers opted to go with someone a team source called “an emerging talent.”
Bell, who had called college, G League and WNBA games since leaving ASU, was about to get her first crack at the NBA.
The Blazers announced Bell’s hiring around noon Thursday. About eight hours later, his term ended.
The controversy is another black eye for new owner Tom Dundon, whose widespread cost-cutting measures and disputes with the state and city over a new lease and funding for a Moda Center renovation have made headlines since he took over the team in late March.
“The play-by-play role carries a long legacy of excellence, in broadcast and character, and we maintain that standard without exception,” the Blazers said in their statement. “We fell short of our own bar in this process, and for that we apologize to Blazers and Rip City fans. We firmly believe that everyone who is part of Rip City should feel welcome and safe and we will ensure our new broadcaster reflects those values. We will do better.”
Gn sports
