QUICK EXIT

NBA Broadcaster Fired Just Hours Into New Job

Social media posts surfaced with offensive references to Asian people and women.

The Portland Trail Blazers fired a new play-by-play broadcaster within hours of hiring him after past racist and misogynistic posts surfaced on X. The team dumped Braiden Bell, 29, after posts from 2012 and 2013 surfaced, when he was about 15. They included comments about “Asian people” and used the terms “s--t” and “wh--s” to refer to women. KGW in Portland reported that one of its journalists spotted the posts and asked the Blazers for comment before the team announced Bell’s firing. “The Portland Trail Blazers have zero tolerance for racist, sexist, or harmful comments,” the team said in a statement. The posts are in “clear violation of team and league policies, as well as our values and expectations.” “We did not meet our own bar in this process, and for that we apologize to Blazers fans and to Rip City,” the statement said. One post read, “I’m not racist at all.. But not gonna lie.. Asian people p--- me off! Hahaha #Honest.” Bell wrote it on Dec. 9, 2012. KGW’s report noted it found no offensive posts from Bell as an adult. As of late Thursday night, posts using the language were still on his X account when The Post viewed it.