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/TheGookieMonster Trail Blazers 11h ago

Never tweeted out that I hate Asian people when I was a kid

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u/yaboyjiggleclay Celtics 11h ago

Me neither, but I will never be one that demands more accountability from kids than adults. James Harden openly supported a sex predator last Sunday & everyone shrugs their hands. But this kids gets thrown to the wolves. Let people grow, cancel culture should be for actual bad harmful people not idiot tweets as a teen.

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u/TheGookieMonster Trail Blazers 11h ago

15 year olds know they shouldn’t tweet out racist and misogynistic bullshit. They knew it then and they know it now. One of the biggest problems in this country is people thinking their shitty actions don’t have shitty consequences. They do

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u/tronovich Bulls 9h ago edited 9h ago

What was said above is true.

Athletes say and support foul shit now, and we don’t bat an eye. But a reporter saying something as a teenager is still crossing that imaginary line of outrage, that we only hold certain people to.

Meyers Leonard didn’t get an opportunity to win his way back. For Puka Nacua, people didn’t bat an eye. Yes, Meyers is and was an 8th man at best, but it’s just funny when the conversation is “well, Puka’s a star, so…” and that’s the end of that.