Table of Contents
- The experiences of NBA players with autism serve as a powerful reminder of how differently gifted people are
- Their experiences serve as potent reminders of the importance of inclusivity and the importance of giving people with autism the chance to fully engage in all facets of life, including professional sports.
- These basketball players support a more accepting and inclusive society by promoting autism awareness
The experiences of NBA players with autism serve as a powerful reminder of how differently gifted people are.
It is an important step in recognizing the value of neurodiversity in both sports and society at large. Their experiences serve as potent reminders of the importance of inclusivity and the importance of giving people with autism the chance to fully engage in all facets of life, including professional sports.
Additionally, these basketball players support a more accepting and inclusive society by promoting autism awareness and acceptance. Their success shows that everyone is of value and giving people the opportunity to be themselves is the most ideal thing.
Therefore, the following NBA players with autism demonstrate that this disorder is not a barrier to success in professional basketball. They are a source of motivation and a beacon of hope.
GARY NEAL
Gary Neal. Photo/Baltimore Sun
One of the popular NBA players with autism is Gary Neal and he is open-minded about it. He says that he received an early diagnosis of Autism disorder but he never let it dim his candle. Despite this, he played professionally for a very long time, from 2007 to 2019.
He transitioned from playing basketball after retiring in 2019 to coaching, serving as an assistant coach for the NCAA Division I Towson Tigers.
TONY SNELL
The Chicago Bulls selected Tony Snell with the 20th pick in the 2013 draught. Snell moved to Milwaukee after spending the first three seasons of his career in Chicago, where he elevated his career by playing a career-high 29.2 minutes per game.
Snell joined the Maine Celtics of the G League after hopping around four different clubs over the previous four years, where he played one game this year. Yet, in this successful NBA career, he is among star NBA players with autism.
MAHMOUD ABDUL-RAUF
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. Photo/Today
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf tops the list of NBA players with autism. Abdul-Rauf is a supporter of athletes with ASD, despite the fact that he wasn’t diagnosed with the disorder until he was an adult.
He played nine NBA seasons after being selected third in the 1990 draught. In two different seasons, he averaged a career-high 19.2 points per game. At age 17, he received a diagnosis of a mild form of Tourette syndrome, yet he was still twice named All-American in high school before making a name for himself with the LSU Tigers.
In his only two seasons at LSU, he averaged 29.0 points per game and was a two-time All-American and two-time Southeastern Conference Player of the Year. In 2020, his No. 35 jersey was retired by the school.
ROYCE WHITE
Royce White is a staunch advocate of both mental health awareness and NBA players with autism. White, who was selected in the 16th round in 2012, gained fame for being one of the first athletes calling for the availability of resources meant to help people attain peak mental health.
Royce White had an amazing career playing in the NBA despite having autism. Photo/ ESPN.
He went as far as sitting out as a rookie in order to force NBA to give players access to mental health resources, which brought about an unprecedented shift. Today, all this is in place and it is now easier for the NBA community to keep their mental health in check.
After leaving the NBA in 2014, White went ahead and played for Reno Bighorns and London Lighting before bringing his career to an end. Some of his achievements as a basketball player include being NBL Canada Champion two times (2017, 2018), NBL Canada Most Valuable Player (2017), NBL Canada scoring champion and Minnesota Mr. Basketball (2009).
White decided to join politics after his retirement from basketball and has been a present figure in American politics for some time now. He lost his bid for a U.S. Senate seat this month after falling to Democrat Sen. Amy Klobuchar in Minnesota’s top election matchup.
