Braiden Bell Hires Counsel, Seeks Reinstatement After Trail Blazers Firing

Braiden Bell is asking the Portland Trail Blazers to reconsider their decision.

Bell has hired legal counsel and is formally seeking reinstatement as Portland's television play-by-play broadcaster, just days after the organization fired him hours into the job over offensive social media posts he made as a teenager.

FOX 12 reported that attorney Arnie Herz is representing Bell and asking Portland to reinstate him.

Herz's argument centers on how much time has passed since Bell made the posts, which dated to 2012 and 2013, and who Bell has become since. Bell said in his public apology that he was 15 years old when he wrote them.

"Accountability means owning what you did," Herz said in a statement, arguing that Bell has acknowledged his conduct rather than tried to excuse it.

Bell also asked that backlash directed toward KGW employees stop. KGW reporter Devon Haskins uncovered the posts while reporting on Bell's hiring, prompting Portland to act within hours of introducing its new broadcaster.

Bell publicly apologized one day after his firing, saying the language was wrong and did not reflect the person he is today.

Now, Bell is asking for another opportunity.

Portland, however, is standing by its decision.

"We stand by our statement issued last week," the Trail Blazers told FOX 12, adding that the organization had no further comment and wished Bell well.

Portland initially said Bell's posts violated team and league policies regarding racist, sexist and otherwise harmful comments. The organization also acknowledged that its own hiring process failed to meet its standards.

When announcing Bell's dismissal, the Trail Blazers said the play-by-play role carries expectations both on the broadcast and away from it. Portland apologized to fans and said whoever eventually fills the position must reflect the organization's standards.

Bell had been selected to replace longtime play-by-play voice Kevin Calabro and was set to work alongside analyst Lamar Hurd.

Before landing the Portland job, Bell had called games for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and the G League's Valley Suns, along with college assignments at Arizona State and California Baptist.

Bell and Herz are also asking the NBA to consider a broader framework for cases involving conduct from someone's youth. Their proposal would weigh a person's age at the time, how much time has passed, their adult record and whether they have taken responsibility.

For now, Bell's request is clear.

He wants to return to Portland's broadcast booth, but the Trail Blazers have made no indication they plan to reverse course.