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Trail Blazers Fire New Play-by-play Announcer Hours After Hiring Due To Racist Social Media Posts

Of all the head-scratching, penny-pinching decisions Tom Dundon has made since buying the Portland Trail Blazers, lowballing longtime, popular play-by-play broadcaster Kevin Calabro — who left after what he called a "subprime" contract offer — ranks near the top of the list.

The guy announced to take over was Braiden Bell — who had the job for about two hours before the Trail Blazers fired him over racist and misogynistic social media posts, which were unearthed by NBC affiliate KGW 8 in Portland.

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— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) October 2, 2026

Bell, 29, posted the comments on X (then Twitter) back in 2012-13, when he was a teenager, but the account has recently been made private. By the time he had launched his broadcasting career, his posts were about sports. Bell was working as the play-by-play broadcaster for the Phoenix Mercury and the G League's Valley Sun (both part of the Phoenix Suns organization) before accepting the Portland job.

The Trail Blazers are now scrambling to find a new play-by-play voice less than three weeks before the season starts. Calabro (who had been with the team since 2016) isn't an option, he was hired as the new play-by-play voice of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Dundon and the Trail Blazers remain in negotiations with the City of Portland over nearly $600 million in renovations for the Moda Center and signing a long-term lease with the city. Those negotiations have a deadline of the end of the year, before some of the state money pledged to the renovation would go away if a deal is not reached.

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Trail Blazers Fire New Play-by-play Announcer Hours After Hiring Due To Racist Social Media Posts

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