Braiden Bell wants his job back with the Portland Trail Blazers. His attorney is now pressing the franchise to reinstate the broadcaster they fired last week hours after the team hired him.
What We Know: Last week, the Blazers hired Bell and fired him the same day. Hours after the announcement, a local KGW reporter uncovered tweets Bell sent in 2012 and 2013, when he was 15 years old. Those posts were insensitive toward women and Asian people. Previously, the 29-year-old called games for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and the G League’s Valley Suns. Now, following his dismissal from the organization, his legal team is ramping up pressure for him to get his job back.
What They Said: Arnie Herz, Braden Bell’s Attorney: “Braiden is not asking anyone to excuse what he wrote. He has owned it, without excuses. What he is asking is whether a boy’s words from fourteen years ago should outweigh everything the man has done since. If that is the standard, there is hardly a person in any organization in America who could meet it. Accountability means owning what you did and showing who you have become. Braiden has done both.”
What Remains Unclear: Still, it remains unclear whether Herz’s campaign can change Portland’s mind. Bell has not commented on the matter since releasing an apology for his tweets following his firing.
What It Means: Ultimately, Bell’s case tests how teams weigh a broadcaster’s digital past as a minor. Herz argues zero tolerance becomes impossible when applied to childhood. On the other hand, Portland insists its values leave no room for such comments. Either way, the outcome could shape how teams vet future hires.
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