Former Portland Trail Blazers broadcaster Braiden Bell has appealed to the NBA franchise to reconsider his dismissal after offensive social media posts he made as a teenager resurfaced shortly after he was hired.
Bell, 29, was appointed as the team’s new play-by-play broadcaster last Thursday but was fired only hours later after KGW uncovered a series of racist and misogynistic posts from his teenage years.
Now, through his lawyer, Arnie Herz, Bell is asking the Trail Blazers to give him an opportunity to prove that the posts no longer represent the person he has become.
Lawyer Questions Whether Teenage Posts Should Define His Future
In a statement issued on Bell’s behalf, Herz acknowledged the seriousness of the posts but argued that they should be considered in the context of Bell’s age at the time.
“Should the worst words a fifteen-year-old ever wrote decide the rest of his life?” Herz said, framing that question as central to Bell’s appeal.
The lawyer added that Bell was not seeking to excuse his conduct or avoid responsibility for what he wrote.
“Braiden is not asking anyone to excuse what he wrote,” Herz said. “He has owned it, without excuses.”
According to his lawyer, Bell believes accountability should involve accepting responsibility while demonstrating personal growth over the years.
Trail Blazers Stand By Dismissal
Despite Bell’s appeal, the Trail Blazers have given no indication that they intend to reverse their decision.
The franchise told The Athletic that it stood by the statement issued following Bell’s dismissal and had no further comment at this time.
The team added that it wished Bell well.
The Trail Blazers had previously said they have “zero tolerance for racist, sexist, or harmful comments” and determined that Bell’s historic posts violated both team and league policies as well as the organisation’s values.
Team Apologised for Hiring Process
The Trail Blazers also acknowledged that the controversy exposed shortcomings in its own recruitment process.
In its statement announcing Bell’s dismissal, the franchise said the play-by-play position carried a long-standing expectation of excellence both in broadcasting and personal character.
The organisation also apologised to its supporters, saying it had failed to meet its own standards during the hiring process.
The team said it wanted everyone associated with the Trail Blazers and the wider “Rip City” community to feel welcome and safe and promised to do better.
Offensive Posts Were Made When Bell Was 15
The social media posts at the centre of the controversy date back to 2012 and 2013, when Bell was believed to be around 15 years old.
Among the posts uncovered by KGW were racist comments about Asian people and several derogatory comments about women.
The posts were made through an account that Bell continues to use for his sports commentary.
However, a review of his social media activity found that by the end of 2015, his posts had become predominantly focused on sports.
Bell Apologised After Posts Resurfaced
Bell issued a public apology on X last Friday after the posts became public.
He described the language as wrong and expressed regret that the material from his teenage years had become the first impression many people had of him.
Bell stressed that the posts were written 14 years ago, when he was 15, and said they did not reflect the person he is today.
He also apologised to anyone who had been hurt by the comments and said he intended to continue treating people with kindness and respect.
Bell Had Been Hired to Replace Kevin Calabro
Bell’s brief appointment had been intended to fill the role previously occupied by Kevin Calabro, who had served as the Trail Blazers’ play-by-play broadcaster since 2016.
Calabro subsequently left Portland for the Minnesota Timberwolves after saying the Trail Blazers had offered him what he described as a “subprime” contract to remain with the organisation.
Bell’s appointment was therefore expected to mark the beginning of a new era for the team’s broadcast coverage before the controversy brought his tenure to an immediate end.
Second Chance Appeal Puts Trail Blazers Under Pressure
Bell’s request now leaves the Trail Blazers facing a difficult question over how organisations should respond to offensive statements made by employees many years before they were hired.
For Bell, the issue is whether his conduct as a teenager should permanently outweigh the years that followed.
For the Trail Blazers, however, the decision remains tied to their stated standards on racist, sexist and harmful speech and the expectations attached to one of the franchise’s most visible roles.
For now, the team appears to be standing by its decision to end Bell’s employment.
