Former Portland Trail Blazers announcer Braiden Bell has apologised for racist and sexist tweets that led to his dismissal just hours after he was announced as the team’s play-by-play commentator.
Bell said the posts were written on Twitter 14 years ago, when he was 15. In a written statement on X, he said: “I am deeply sorry for the language I used on Twitter. These tweets, while wrong, were written by me 14 years ago while I was only 15 years old and have no reflection of who I am today.”
He added: “I regret this being my first impression to many of you online, but I can take solace in knowing that the people who truly know me understand that this is not the kind of person I am.”
Bell was removed from the Trail Blazers role after the tweets were resurfaced and reported, prompting the team to end his appointment on the same day it was announced.
Concluding his apology, Bell said: “Again, I’d like to apologize to anyone who was hurt by my words and will continue to always treat people with kindness and respect.”
