PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – Braiden Bell, the broadcaster the Portland Trail Blazers both hired and fired on the same day, has hired counsel and is asking for reinstatement.
Bell was announced as the team’s new television play-by-play voice on Thursday.
Just hours later, the Blazers abruptly announced that they had fired Bell based on resurfaced derogatory tweets he had posted as a teenager.
“Braiden is not asking anyone to excuse what he wrote,” said Arnie Herz, counsel to Bell, in a statement. “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.”
Through his counsel, Bell also asked that backlash against employees at KGW, who initially reported on the derogatory tweets, come to an end.
“I love this game, I love this city, and I am grateful to every fan who has reached out over the past few days,” Bell said in a statement. “I will keep working every day to be someone Rip City can be proud of, whatever happens next.”
However, the team does not appear to have any intention of bringing him back into the fold.
FOX 12 obtained the following statement from the Trail Blazers regarding the announcement:
“We stand by our statement issued last week and have no further comment at this time. We wish Mr. Bell the best.”
Bell was set to replace Kevin Calabro, who accepted a job with the Minnesota Timberwolves last month.
The 29-year-old previously served as a broadcaster for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and the NBA G League’s Valley Suns.
The Blazers open their preseason schedule against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.
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