Former NBA player Tony Snell has learned he has autism spectrum disorder after finding out his toddler’ has the same diagnosis.
As a guest on the Today show on June 16, the father of two spoke about how his son Karter’s diagnosis last year encouraged him to inquire if he too was on the autism spectrum.
The Los Angeles native detailed his new journey with autism to the morning show with Snell admitting that he was not shocked by the results.
“I was not surprised because I always felt different, “ shared the doting dad. “It just made my whole life, everything about my life, make so much sense. It was like a clarity, like putting some 3-D glasses on.”
In his conversation with Today’s Craig Melvin, the ex-professional athlete spoke on how autism goes under diagnosed in the Black community despite new data revealing it is more common amongst Black children.
“We don’t have much knowledge of it. And I think some people are nervous to open up. People got a lot of stuff going on individually. It’s hard to open up to things that people might not know about. “
Despite not knowing about
his condition, Snell went on to have a successful career in the NBA since being the 20th pick in the 2013 draft. Originally starting with the Chicago Bulls, the 6’6 forward went on to play on many teams, including the Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks, and Detroit Pistons. His final official season was with the New Orleans Pelicans, according to ESPN. As for the most recent season, he played for the Boston Celtics’ G League team.However, the primary concern nowadays is supporting his son through their walk with autism, not wanting him to feel alone and different as he did growing up.
“I want to make sure my son knows that I have his back,” shares the family man.
RELATED CONTENT: BLK Dating App Celebrates Father’s Day With ‘BLK Dad Energy’