Former Trail Blazers announcer seeks reinstatement after contract rescinded over past tweets
Braiden Bell, who was hired as the Portland Trail Blazers' play-by-play announcer and then dismissed over offensive teenage social-media posts, has asked the team to reconsider the decision, offering community outreach as part of a redemption plan.
Portland Trail Blazers announced the hiring of 29-year-old broadcaster Braiden Bell as their new television play-by-play announcer on Thursday, only to rescind the contract eight hours later after learning he had posted racist and misogynistic messages as a teenager. Bell’s legal representative, Arnie Herz, said the former high school student’s remarks from 2012-13 do not reflect his current character and that Bell has taken responsibility for them.
"Braiden is not asking anyone to excuse what he wrote. He has owned it, without excuses. What he is asking is whether a boy’s words from fourteen years ago should outweigh everything the man has done since," Herz wrote in a statement.
Bell apologized for the posts, describing them as “no reflection of who I am today” and expressing regret for any harm caused. He has proposed a program of community and educational outreach, including work with Asian American and Pacific Islander groups and organizations supporting women and girls in sports, as part of a request for a second chance.
"The Blazers have a chance to show what accountability and redemption look like together," Herz added.
The team has not yet responded to the request.