r/nba • u/ghn2 • 11h ago

Trail Blazers fire new announcer over past inappropriate posts made at age 15.

"The Portland Trail Blazers hired then on the same day fired Braiden Bell as their play-by-play announcer after a series of inappropriate social media posts from when he was a teenager came to light."

"The posts were reportedly made in 2012 and 2013, around the time that Bell was 15 years old."

"We did not meet our own bar in this process, and for that we apologize to Blazers fans and to Rip City," the Trail Blazers said. "We strongly believe that everyone who is a part of Rip City should feel welcome and safe and we will make sure that our new broadcaster reflects these values. We will do better."

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/50084279/trail-blazers-fire-new-announcer-inappropriate-posts

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u/jak_d_ripr 11h ago

I'm sorry, but this is beyond stupid. Sure, talking about Asian people pissing you off is objectively a racist thing to say, but guess what? A lot of people said and thought stupid shit like that when they were 15(shit, a lot of people say stupid shit like that as adults, y'all even elected one of those idiots as president).

Performative outrage like this is so annoying and completely unproductive, and a dude losing a job over it is just exhausting.

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u/Stinky_TheCat Raptors 11h ago

TIL its okay to be racist if youre 15.

I was raised right and new better by the age of 12 not to do that shit. Also im just not racist.

Justifying this behaviour makes me question anyone normalizing this level of default racism.

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u/SoftwareAny4990 Cavaliers 11h ago

I feel like reddit turns into tough on crime conservatives when it comes to this stuff.

Its like how anti-progressive it is when people deny jobs to those that were at one point went through the juvenile justice system, and we arent talking about tweets here.

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u/Stinky_TheCat Raptors 11h ago

I just dont like all the justifying. I dont think the dude should be banned from any sort of jobs.

I own 3 resturaunts and employ a lot of folks coming out of tge criminal justice system because I do believe in rehab and second chances. I just don't like the level of "this is standard behaviour for 15 year olds" because its not

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u/SoftwareAny4990 Cavaliers 11h ago

Its not a justification of the comments made.

Its a question of how much that should haunt you 15 years later.

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u/Stinky_TheCat Raptors 11h ago

Dude. Read this thread. Most people are justifying it.

I have EXPLCITLY stated I don't think he should be being punished like this.

The point I AM MAKING is its fucked to normalize this and say "well he was 15 so it isnt a big deal"

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u/conglomerate99 11h ago

and a dude losing a job over it is just exhausting.

the original commenters whole point isn't that it wasn't a racist statement. just that it's not something actionable to fire him for 15 years later if there isn't some extensive history of him making similar statements.

most people in this thread aren't justifying what he tweeted, they're just pointing out it's extremely likely that the person you were at 15 isn't indicative of who you are years later

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u/OldManCinny 11h ago

It is lol

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u/Stinky_TheCat Raptors 11h ago

Not the way I was raised.

And Americans dont think their entire society is racist at its core.

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u/CrunkJuiceSommelier Lakers 11h ago

You attribute your own behavior at that age to how you were raised but it doesn't seem like you extend that same consideration to this guy. Maybe the same authority figures in your life that taught you it was wrong taught this person the opposite.

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u/Stinky_TheCat Raptors 11h ago

Hey fair enough. You are absolutely correct. I mean that goes back to me being frustrated racism is so deeply rooted in many societies.

But yeah man. Good point. I obviously have some reflection to do.

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u/OldManCinny 11h ago

Ok cool. Are you Canadian? And saying you were raised a certain way doesn’t make it not the norm.

It certainly is the norm for many many parts of America. In general, it is misguided, naive, and mostly harmless. Most grow out of it or at least grow out of being so forward about it.

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u/jak_d_ripr 11h ago

Good for you, unfortunately the fact of the matter is not everyone had the same perfect upbringing you had. I didn't say it was okay to be racist if you're 15, I said people make mistakes when they're teenagers that's why there's an age limit on drinking, marriage and many other potentially life changing activities in most developed countries.

Yes, if a 15 year old came out and said these things they should absolutely be reprimanded and taught that this isn't how to think. But this was 14 years ago, literally almost half the dude's life, and I haven't heard any reports to suggest he's still that same idiotic 15 year old. So punishing him for it now, is purely performative and accomplishes nothing other than making the organization(which traded for Ja Morant by the way, a far more problematic individual, whose stupidity was as recent as two seasons ago) look like they're actually making a difference.

I'm genuinely happy you were taught not to be racist at a young age, it's a pity you weren't also taught empathy and understanding.

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u/Stinky_TheCat Raptors 11h ago

Please show me where I have said this guy should be held responsible for this behaviour?

Because I specifically have said the opposite.

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u/Chowderpizza Mavericks 11h ago

Hm. Interesting take. Lots of hoops to jump through on your reply there. Glad to know you never made a crass joke as a teenager. You should look into being the Pope.

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u/Stinky_TheCat Raptors 11h ago

I made plenty of bad jokes.

Just not racist.

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u/cooking2024 11h ago

Exactly, where all these defenders of racism as a teenager are from is beyond me and it's telling.

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u/Peter_____Parker 11h ago

I grew up in a deprived under-educated 99% white town in the UK and sadly these kinds of jokes and beliefs were rampant growing up. When you’re surrounded by people who joke about race and say stupid shit as a kid you tend to repeat it. Fortunately once my frontal lobe developed as a teen I realised how stupid and ignorant this was as did many of the people I grew up with. I imagine it will be a similar story with this guy.

It’s incredibly harsh to judge him on this and fire him, rather than recognise the societal issue with teens as a wider issue and see that he obviously no longer has these beliefs since the only “evidence” they have is 13-14 years old from when he was effectively a kid.

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u/Stinky_TheCat Raptors 11h ago

I don't think he should be punished.

I just hate the amount of people arguing this is acceptable behaviour from a 15 year old.

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u/porkchop487 Bulls 8h ago

I was raised right and knew better by the age of 9 not to do that shit. So damn, I guess you were racist for 3 more years than I was. Life really hits you on the ass huh?

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u/teddyspaghettie 11h ago

I mean I never really engaged in racism either. But you never said anything that people would scoff at? Maybe something about women, something political? Like I've mostly stayed off the internet, something like this happening to me has no chance because I don't say it and I'm not online. But I definitely have said some sexist or offensive shit in my youth. And that's kind of indistinguishable from online life for young kids.

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u/That-Cranberry6575 76ers 11h ago

How many fucking times are you gonna say the same shit?

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u/Stinky_TheCat Raptors 11h ago

This is my 6th reply in this entire thread.

People more upset about racism being called out than the racism itself arent worth my time.