Who is Braiden Bell? Play-by-play announcer sacked over racist remarks, now issues apology

Braiden Bell, the Portland Trail Blazers play-by-play announcer who was fired over racist and sexist remarks, has issued an apology. He came under scrutiny after his X posts from 2012 and 2013 carrying discriminatory remarks resurfaced online. These comments were first spotted by news outlet KGW8, prompting the Portland Trail Blazers to fire him hours after he was announced as the team’s new play-by-play announcer.

In a statement, the Trail Blazers said that the decision to sack Bell was taken based on the social media posts that violated “team and league policies, as well as our values and expectations.” “Therefore, we will not be moving forward with this broadcaster,” the post added.

“The Portland Trail Blazers have zero tolerance for racist, sexist, or harmful comments,” the team said. “The play-by-play role carries a long legacy of excellence ... and we hold that standard without exception.”

Bell apologizes

Following the backlash over his remarks, Bell issued a written apology, saying ... "I am deeply sorry for the language I used on Twitter. These tweets, while wrong, were written by me 14 years ago while I was only 15 years old and have no reflection of who I am today." "I regret this being my first impression to many of you online, but I can take solace in knowing that the people who truly know me understand that this is not the kind of person I am," he further stated.

"Again, I'd like to apologize to anyone who was hurt by my words and will continue to always treat people with kindness and respect," he concluded. Meanwhile, as the apology from the announcer came in, it is pertinent to note that the X posts under scrutiny were not deleted at the time of filing this report.

What we know about Braiden Bell

An Arizona State University graduate, Bell called games for the university’s basketball team. Before his stint with the Trail Blazers, which lasted a few hours, he also called games for California Baptist University. His LinkedIn profile states that he was also the play-by-play announcer for the Phoenix Mercury and Valley Suns. He also worked games in the NBA G League.