# Tony Snell (basketball)
**Tony Snell** (born 1991) is an American professional basketball player, a 6-foot-6 guard-forward who played nine NBA seasons after being drafted 20th overall by the [Chicago Bulls](https://www.edgepedia.org/chicago-bulls) in 2013, and who became known publicly in 2023 for disclosing that he had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at age 31.[1](https://www.nba.com/stats/player/203503) • [2](https://golobos.com/news/2013/06/27/209060100) • [3](https://www.si.com/nba/2023/06/16/tony-snell-details-being-diagnosed-with-autism-31-nba)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1991, Los Angeles, California; 6'6" (1.98 m), 213 lb (97 kg)[1](https://www.nba.com/stats/player/203503) |
| Draft | 2013 NBA Draft, first round, 20th pick, Chicago Bulls, out of the University of New Mexico[2](https://golobos.com/news/2013/06/27/209060100) |
| NBA career | 601 regular-season games (2013–2022) for the Bulls, Bucks, Pistons, Hawks, Trail Blazers, and Pelicans; 6.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists per game, .394 on three-pointers[4](https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Tony-Snell/Summary/22374) |
| Best shooting season | 2020–21 with Atlanta: .569 from three-point range and 1.000 from the free-throw line[4](https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Tony-Snell/Summary/22374) |
| Autism diagnosis | Autism spectrum disorder diagnosed at age 31, announced on NBC's TODAY on June 16, 2023[3](https://www.si.com/nba/2023/06/16/tony-snell-details-being-diagnosed-with-autism-31-nba) |
| Later career | G League stints with the Maine Celtics and Sioux Falls Skyforce, a season with Boulazac in France, and a June 2026 signing with Cholet Basket[5](https://gleague.nba.com/news/skyforce-acquires-tony-snell-from-celtics) • [6](https://www.cholet-basket.com/news/tony-snell-rejoint-cholet-basket) |
| Career earnings | At least $53,175,288 in professional basketball salary[7](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/snellto01.html) |
## Early life and college
Snell grew up in Los Angeles, attending Martin Luther King High School in [Riverside, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/riverside-california), before playing three seasons (2010–13) of college basketball for the [University of New Mexico](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-new-mexico) in the [Mountain West Conference](https://www.edgepedia.org/mountain-west-conference).[8](https://www.usab.com/players/tony-snell) • [4](https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Tony-Snell/Summary/22374) As a junior he averaged 12.5 points and led the Lobos with 64 three-pointers, was named Most Valuable Player of the Mountain West Tournament as New Mexico won a second straight tournament title, and finished his college career with 952 points and a .380 three-point percentage.[2](https://golobos.com/news/2013/06/27/209060100)
The Chicago Bulls selected him with the 20th pick of the 2013 draft, making him the eighth first-round choice in Lobo history.[2](https://golobos.com/news/2013/06/27/209060100)
## NBA career
Snell spent his first three seasons with Chicago, then played three seasons with the [Milwaukee Bucks](https://www.edgepedia.org/milwaukee-bucks), where he started 80 games in 2016–17 and averaged a career-best 8.5 points.[4](https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Tony-Snell/Summary/22374) He later played for the [Detroit Pistons](https://www.edgepedia.org/detroit-pistons), Atlanta Hawks, Portland Trail Blazers, and [New Orleans Pelicans](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-orleans-pelicans), finishing the 2021–22 season with the Pelicans.[9](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/former-nba-player-tony-snell-diagnosed-with-autism-at-age-31-says-it-made-his-life-make-so-much-sense/)
**Shooting role.** Snell built his career as a role player in the "3 and D" mold, a defender who stretches the floor with three-point shooting.[6](https://www.cholet-basket.com/news/tony-snell-rejoint-cholet-basket) His most accurate season was 2020–21 with Atlanta, when he shot .569 from three-point range on 109 attempts and made every free throw he took, part of a career line of .394 on threes and .846 on free throws.[4](https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Tony-Snell/Summary/22374)
After his NBA run he moved through the G League, appearing for the Maine Celtics, whom he helped reach the 2024 NBA G League Finals, and then the [Sioux Falls Skyforce](https://www.edgepedia.org/sioux-falls-skyforce), the [Miami Heat](https://www.edgepedia.org/miami-heat)'s affiliate, after his rights were acquired from Maine.[5](https://gleague.nba.com/news/skyforce-acquires-tony-snell-from-celtics) He then played overseas for the first time, joining Boulazac in France's Betclic Élite, where he averaged 8.1 points and led the league in three-point percentage at 51.8 percent. In June 2026 he signed a one-season contract with Cholet Basket, whose coach Fabrice Lefrançois described him as fitting the 3-and-D profile the team sought.[6](https://www.cholet-basket.com/news/tony-snell-rejoint-cholet-basket)
## Autism diagnosis and advocacy
In June 2023, Snell announced on NBC's TODAY show, in an interview with [Craig Melvin](https://www.edgepedia.org/craig-melvin), that he had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at 31, after his son Karter was diagnosed at 18 months old when he missed developmental milestones.[3](https://www.si.com/nba/2023/06/16/tony-snell-details-being-diagnosed-with-autism-31-nba) • [9](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/former-nba-player-tony-snell-diagnosed-with-autism-at-age-31-says-it-made-his-life-make-so-much-sense/) Snell and his wife, Ashley, took their son to a doctor who recommended testing.[10](https://www.complex.com/sports/a/markelibert/tony-snell-autism-diagnosis-at-31) Karter's diagnosis prompted Snell to reflect on his own childhood in California, where he said he was "always independent growing up, always been alone" and could not connect with people on a personal level; he decided that if his son was on the spectrum, he likely was too, which gave him the courage to be evaluated.[3](https://www.si.com/nba/2023/06/16/tony-snell-details-being-diagnosed-with-autism-31-nba)
He said the diagnosis did not surprise him but brought relief: "this is why I am the way I am, and it just made my whole life, everything about my life, make so much sense. It was like a clarity, like putting some 3D glasses on."[3](https://www.si.com/nba/2023/06/16/tony-snell-details-being-diagnosed-with-autism-31-nba) Snell said he believed a childhood diagnosis might have limited him, given how little autism was understood when he was growing up, and that basketball had kept him on a straight path as a tall, shy kid in [South Los Angeles](https://www.edgepedia.org/south-los-angeles).[3](https://www.si.com/nba/2023/06/16/tony-snell-details-being-diagnosed-with-autism-31-nba) • [11](https://www.yahoo.com/news/nba-star-tony-snell-speaks-185603018.html) He framed going public as a way to show others that autism is not a barrier, and said his priority was supporting his son: "I want to make sure my son knows that I have his back."
## Playing style and legacy
Across nine NBA seasons Snell averaged 6.1 points in 21.8 minutes per game, with his value concentrated in perimeter defense and catch-and-shoot three-point accuracy rather than volume scoring.[4](https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Tony-Snell/Summary/22374) His public disclosure made him one of the few former NBA players to speak openly about a late-life autism diagnosis, and he has continued his playing career in Europe into his mid-thirties.[3](https://www.si.com/nba/2023/06/16/tony-snell-details-being-diagnosed-with-autism-31-nba) • [6](https://www.cholet-basket.com/news/tony-snell-rejoint-cholet-basket)
## References
1. [Tony Snell player page, NBA.com Stats](https://www.nba.com/stats/player/203503)
2. [Tony Snell Drafted no. 20 by Chicago Bulls, New Mexico Lobos official athletics site](https://golobos.com/news/2013/06/27/209060100)
3. [NBA Player Tony Snell Details Being Diagnosed With Autism at 31, Sports Illustrated](https://www.si.com/nba/2023/06/16/tony-snell-details-being-diagnosed-with-autism-31-nba)
4. [Tony Snell Player Profile, RealGM](https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Tony-Snell/Summary/22374)
5. [Skyforce Acquires Tony Snell From Celtics, NBA G League](https://gleague.nba.com/news/skyforce-acquires-tony-snell-from-celtics)
6. [Tony Snell rejoint Cholet Basket, Cholet Basket](https://www.cholet-basket.com/news/tony-snell-rejoint-cholet-basket)
7. [Tony Snell Stats, Basketball-Reference](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/snellto01.html)
8. [Tony Snell, USA Basketball](https://www.usab.com/players/tony-snell)
9. [Former NBA player Tony Snell diagnosed with autism at age 31, CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/former-nba-player-tony-snell-diagnosed-with-autism-at-age-31-says-it-made-his-life-make-so-much-sense/)
10. [Tony Snell Reflects On Receiving Autism Diagnosis At 31 Years Old, Complex](https://www.complex.com/sports/a/markelibert/tony-snell-autism-diagnosis-at-31)
11. [NBA star Tony Snell speaks out for 1st time on autism diagnosis, Yahoo News](https://www.yahoo.com/news/nba-star-tony-snell-speaks-185603018.html)
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*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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