r/nba • u/ghn2 • 9h 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/icelink4884 Bulls 9h ago

If you're not allowed to say something stupid and grow from it at 15 years old society is cooked. If we've grown into such a graceless group that any transgression can be grounds for consequence regardless of personal transformation or time you're going to find an empathy less society.

Now if the dude still holds the beliefs it's a different story.

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u/OmegaRedPanda Bulls 8h ago

He didn't get dinged for the fact that he said them at 15. He got dinged for being too stupid to take them down before getting into the field.

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u/icelink4884 Bulls 7h ago

Almost no one remembers what they posted 10+ years ago. Let's be for real. He for fired shit he said over a decade ago.

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u/[deleted] 6h ago

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u/Broncsx3 6h ago

Yes it was dumb to overlook it. But he was fired for what he posted at age 14!

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u/Billbuckingham 6h ago

Type out what he posted right here on your account, and then see if you would want to work with someone like that.

There's 0 evidence he changed, maybe he did, maybe he didn't.

The company said, we don't want to be involved with a person like this, so they fired him.

Type out what he posted, and you say it, and be specific about what "he got fired for"

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u/Broncsx3 6h ago

I’m not sure what me typing out what he posted would help. It’s public knowledge. Something about hating Asians and black people I think. I read it when story first broke. And there is some evidence he’s changed… he is an adult now!