SUMMARY
- Tony Snell played in the NBA between 2013 and 2022 before signing with the G League.
- Snell's son was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder when he was 18 months old.
Tony Snell is someone who has a bit of significance in the NBA over the years. As a youngster, the Chicago Bulls player turned to basketball to keep him away from the lives his peers were living. During his time in high school and college, he worked hard to come up in life and provide for himself as well as his family. He became the 20th overall pick during the 2013 NBA Draft. However, Snell didn’t know that he had Autism Spectrum Disorder until he was 31.
In August 2020, Tony married his long-time girlfriend, Ashley with whom he went to high school back in the day. They also parent two young boys, and one of them happens to be on the spectrum as well. Tony opened up about his son’s ASD condition during an interview with Today in 2023. He claimed that his son’s diagnosis at 18 months old helped him discover that he also had signs of ASD.
Tony Snell believes his Autism diagnosis would’ve stopped him from playing in the NBA
Tony Snell played in the NBA for nine seasons and competed for various teams. He was welcomed into the league by the Bulls in 2013. However, he went on to play for the Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons, Portland Trail Blazers, and the New Orleans Pelicans. After his stint with NOLA, Snell signed with the Maine Celtics, the G League affiliate of the Boston Celtics.
Snell claimed that learning about his condition would’ve kept him away from competing. He said, “I think I’d have probably been limited with the stuff I could probably do. I don’t think I’d have been in the NBA if I was diagnosed with autism [at his son’s age]. Because back then, like, what is autism? They’d have probably put a limit or a cap on my abilities.”
He also claimed, “I was not surprised, because I always felt different. I was just relieved, like ‘Ahh, this is why I am the way I am.’ It just made my whole life.” Snell claimed that he always felt very different as he could connect with people personally. He also mentioned that he mostly isolated himself growing up.
Tony Snell remains thankful to his son
Throughout his career, Tony Snell averaged 6.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. He never had a significant moment in the league, but just being a part of it was a major blessing. Of course, the NBA always recruits the best athletes in the country which meant Snell was something special. He went on to appreciate the fact that his son helped him discover that he has ASD.
He said, “I want to make sure my son knows that I have his back. When I was a kid, I felt different, but I can show him that I’m right here with you and we’re going to ride this thing together, we’re going to grow together and we’re going to accomplish a lot of things together.”
Tony Snell needs to sign with an NBA team by Friday to to reach a 10th year of service to be eligible for the players association’s premium medical plan, per @JakeLFischer.
The plan would cover his entire family, which includes his three-year-old and two-year-old son who have… pic.twitter.com/IiwLLFa6W6
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) January 31, 2024
Snell claimed that when he found out, it was like his life was viewed through three-dimensional goggles. “It was like a clarity, like putting some 3-D glasses on,” he said. Snell has been competing with Maine since last year. In 2023, the Golden State Warriors held a workout session with him. However, nothing conspired out of it, and he returned to the Celtics after it.