Portland Trail Blazers Part Ways With Announcer Braiden Bell Hours After Hiring
The Portland Trail Blazers fired play-by-play announcer Braiden Bell on the same day he was hired, reportedly over social media posts made during his teenage years.
Springfield Holyoke, MA, October 2, 2026 —
The Portland Trail Blazers organization has reportedly parted ways with Braiden Bell, a play-by-play announcer, on the same day he was hired for the position. The swift dismissal is understood to be linked to social media posts that Bell made during his teenage years.
Bell was announced as the team’s new play-by-play announcer earlier in the day. However, news of his hiring was quickly followed by reports detailing the reasons for his termination. Sources indicate that the decision to dismiss Bell came about after past social media activity surfaced.
Specific details regarding the content of the social media posts or the exact timeline of when they were made public were not immediately available. The duration between Bell’s hiring and his dismissal was reported to be a matter of hours.
The team has not released an official statement regarding the specific circumstances of Bell’s departure. The team’s operations and broadcasting schedule are expected to continue as planned, with arrangements for play-by-play commentary for upcoming events to be addressed.
The decision highlights the scrutiny that public figures, including sports broadcasters, face regarding their online presence, particularly concerning content shared from their youth. The situation also underscores the rapid response protocols that organizations may employ when potentially damaging information comes to light shortly after a hiring decision.
Story summarized from the original created by Matt Connolly on www.masslive.com, see more information here.
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