Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability believed to affect around 1% of the world’s population. This means that 1 in 100 people falls somewhere in the autism spectrum, which is why many of our favorite movie stars, singers, and even NBA athletes are currently dealing with the condition. So, let’s look at some of the most famous NBA players with autism.
Four of the most famous NBA players with autism include Tony Snell, Gary Neal, Royce White, and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. However, these are just some of the NBA stars that have been open about their ASD diagnosis. There are probably plenty of other players who are dealing with it privately.
If you want to learn more about these players and their experience with ASD, read on.
1. Tony Snell
On June 16, 2023, former NBA shooting guard and small forward Tony Snell was diagnosed with Autism. This revelation came shortly after his son was diagnosed. According to Snell, he had always felt a little out of place and was a bit of a “loner” growing up.
Surprisingly, Snell said that he feels it was a good thing that he was diagnosed later on in life because he thinks that being diagnosed as a child would have prevented him from being able to play in the NBA. Tony played 9 seasons in the NBA and now plays for the Maine Celtics in the G-League.
2. Gary Neal
Gary Neal is one of the players with the most impressive careers on this list. Since being drafted in 2007, he has played for the likes of the San Antonio Spurs, Milwaukee Bucks, and Atlanta Hawks. After retiring from his playing career in 2019, he stuck to his profession by acting as assistant coach to the Towson Tigers.
One fact that has made his decades-long career more impressive is that the star was diagnosed with autism at a young age. His impressive accomplishments go to prove that receiving an ASD diagnosis has nothing to do with the success of your career.
3. Royce White
Royce White is another NBA star who has been pretty vocal about his autism diagnosis. His attempts at raising awareness of the condition have truly been inspiring. He’s spoken several times about his experience with the disorder and the importance of offering players the right resources to deal with all types of developmental disabilities.
His smarts and oratory skills also prove that autism has nothing to do with one’s intelligence or eloquence. In fact, these are the main qualities that have helped the player throughout his basketball career and mental health advocacy endeavors.
As a first-round pick, his talent and power were indubitable. However, he proved his worth as a player even more once he started playing professionally, leading his team with points, assists, and rebounds.
He truly made the most out of his time in the limelight by speaking out about his struggles not only with autism but also anxiety, becoming one of the very first NBA players to speak publicly about mental health issues.
Once the news that the league didn’t have any mental health policies in place broke out, the young star took it upon himself to speak out about the problem, even though he was only a rookie at the time. He even refused to play another game until the league had taken appropriate measures to remedy the situation, prompting historical changes to the NBA as a whole.
4. Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf
Last but not least, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf also makes his way into our list of the most famous NBA players with autism. Unlike many of his peers, he was only diagnosed with the disorder as an adult, which prompted him to speak out even more candidly about it. The former Denver Nuggets guard has helped destigmatize the discussion around autism in sports.