The Portland Trail Blazers fire newly hired broadcaster Braiden Bell only hours after his announcement, the team says it has “zero tolerance for racist, sexist or harmful comments.” The decision follows the team becoming aware of social media posts Bell made as a teenager.
Both outlets report that the posts involve misogynistic and racist content. CBS Sports and Yahoo Sports describe Bell’s firing as occurring shortly after he is hired, with the team citing its policy on harmful language rather than addressing the specific details of the posts publicly. The coverage focuses on how quickly the employment change happens once the content comes to the team’s attention and on the team’s stated intolerance for racist and sexist remarks.
While neither source indicates the posts were made recently or that Bell made any additional comparable comments in adulthood, the team’s action shows a fast response to allegations tied to historical online activity. The reports do not provide further information about whether Bell disputes the content or whether any appeal or review process occurs.
