Charles Barkley took some time on Thursday’s “Inside the NBA” to call on the team to sign Tony Snell. That would allow him to accumulate 10 years of NBA service and qualify for the Players Association’s premium medical plan, which covers Snell’s wife and children.
Snell, 32, revealed last summer that he had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, as had his children Carter, 3, and Kenzo, 2.
The veteran shooting guard has been playing for the G League’s main Celtics this year, hoping to hit the service mark to qualify for the Players Association’s retirement benefits program and earn a spot on an NBA roster by Friday. There is. Important medical coverage.
Published on Yahoo Sports It was Wednesday’s article about Snell’s situation, and the details struck a chord with Barkley, who brought it up on TNT.
“The NBA has been great to all of us sitting here, and you’re going to continue to make billions of dollars playing basketball,” Barkley said. “I hope some of you sign up with Tony so his two autistic children can receive excellent medical care.”
Barkley, along with fellow panelists Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal, all had long NBA careers.
“I hope the team signs him for the rest of the season, because I don’t know much about autism, so I’m not going to say that,” Barkley continued. “But I know it’s very expensive to raise two young children in those conditions. I have high hopes for the NBA.
“We always talk about what kind of family we are. Let’s sign that kid for the rest of the season.”
Snell last played in the NBA in the 2021-22 season.
The nine-year NBA veteran told NBC’s “Today” last June that he wasn’t surprised when he learned of his diagnosis.
“I wasn’t surprised because I always felt different,” Snell said. “I thought, ‘Oh, this is why I’m here,’ and I just felt relieved. And it made my whole life, everything in my life, so meaningful.”
