Tony Snell

Tony Snell
Born	(1991-11-10) November 10, 1991 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Professional basketball player
Known for	First NBA player to publicly disclose an autism diagnosis; playing for Boulazac Basket Dordogne in France's LNB Pro A league

Tony Rena Snell Jr. (born November 10, 1991) is a professional basketball athlete from the United States currently playing for Boulazac Basket Dordogne in France's LNB Pro A league. He competed collegiately with the New Mexico Lobos and was selected 20th overall in the 2013 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. Snell is distinguished as the first NBA player to publicly disclose an autism diagnosis.

Originally from the Watts area of Los Angeles, California, Snell relocated to Phoenix, Arizona, where he completed his high school education at Westwind Preparatory Academy. Serving as the starting shooting guard during his sophomore and junior seasons at New Mexico, he played a key role in guiding the Lobos to back-to-back Mountain West Conference regular season and tournament titles, which earned them spots in the NCAA tournament.

High school career

During the 2008–09 academic year, Snell attended Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, California. Alongside teammate Kawhi Leonard, who would later become a two-time NBA Finals MVP, Snell helped lead the Wolves to an impressive 30–3 record and a seventh-place national ranking according to the MaxPreps/National Guard computer rankings. Snell posted averages of 14 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and four blocks per game. In 2009, he transferred to Westwind Preparatory Academy in Phoenix where he elevated his performance, averaging 19.5 points, 10 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 2.7 steals, and 1.8 blocks per contest. At Westwind, he played alongside Jamaal Franklin, who later competed for San Diego State University and was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies in 2013.

2010–11 season: Freshman year

In 2009, scouting reports from ESPN described Snell as "one of the top sleepers on the West Coast" and a "diamond in the rough." He committed to join the New Mexico Lobos on September 15, 2009, officially signing in November.

The 2010-11 Lobos roster was characterized by youth and limited experience, led by senior guard Dairese Gary and UCLA transfer Drew Gordon. Snell was among four freshmen receiving significant playing time alongside teammates like Kendall Williams, Alex Kirk, and Cameron Bairstow, forming one of New Mexico’s most accomplished recruiting classes. The team experienced an uneven season, concluding with a 22–13 record after earning an invitation to the 2011 National Invitation Tournament. There they secured a victory over UTEP but were subsequently eliminated by Alabama.

Snell appeared in all but one game that season, averaging 4.4 points and two rebounds per game. He reached double-digit scoring on four occasions and led the team twice in scoring. Highlight performances included a 16-point effort featuring four three-pointers against then-ranked number nine BYU and a career-high 19 points with five three-pointers versus Wyoming. Starting seven games, he averaged 8.3 points during those appearances and shot .548 from beyond the arc over a seven-game stretch. A sprained ankle late in the season curtailed his output to just 11 points across the final eight contests.

2011–12 season: Sophomore year

The following season’s Lobos were anchored by Gordon, who recorded nineteen double-doubles and averaged an impressive 11.1 rebounds per game—ranking fourth nationally. Defensively, New Mexico allowed only 59.3 points per game—the lowest since the introduction of the shot clock—and restricted opponents to under 40 percent shooting for the first time since the mid-1960s. Their defensive efficiency ranked fourteenth nationally with opponents’ field goal percentage placing seventh.

Snell earned a starting spot amid competition from emerging guards while senior Phillip McDonald dealt with injuries. Known for his dynamic scoring ability but occasional inconsistency, Snell posted double-digit points in twenty games including three outings exceeding twenty points. He finished the season averaging 10.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game.

The Lobos began strongly with a 15–2 record highlighted by a thirteen-game winning streak. After losses to No. 16 San Diego State and No. 14 UNLV interrupted their momentum, they rebounded with seven consecutive victories to reach a 22–4 record and break into the top twenty rankings nationally. Despite suffering two upset defeats later on, New Mexico shared the Mountain West Conference regular-season championship.

In the conference tournament semifinals, New Mexico overcame No. 20 UNLV with Snell contributing significantly—15 points, six rebounds, and six assists. The Lobos then captured the tournament title against No. 18 San Diego State; Snell scored fourteen points on efficient shooting from three-point range (4-of-6) and earned All-Tournament Team honors. They entered the NCAA tournament as a five-seed, defeating Long Beach State before falling to Louisville—who advanced to the Final Four that year. The team wrapped up with a record of 28–7 while Snell received Honorable Mention recognition on the All-Mountain West team.

2012–13 season: Junior year

During the 2012-13 campaign, the Lobos focused on staunch defense coupled with evenly distributed scoring, frequently rallying from behind to clinch narrow victories. They restricted opponents to an average of 60 points per game and held them below 40% shooting accuracy, concluding with a 10–2 record in contests decided by six points or fewer. Williams led the team with an average of 13.3 points per game, while four teammates maintained double-digit scoring averages, and seven different players led the team in scoring across various games. Snell emerged as the top scorer in ten matchups, including a notable period where he averaged 19.8 points and shot 56.4% from beyond the arc. His season averages included 12.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game; he also led the team in three-point and free throw percentages for a second straight year, ranking fifth in Lobo history for free throw accuracy.

The Lobos commenced the season with a 12–0 streak, highlighted by a victory over No. 19 Connecticut, propelling them to No. 16 in national rankings. Following defeats against NCAA tournament participants South Dakota State and St. Louis, New Mexico rebounded by defeating No. 8 Cincinnati and, after a loss at No. 20 San Diego State, won nine out of ten subsequent games. This surge secured the Mountain West Conference regular-season championship and elevated them to No. 11 nationally. Despite his reserved nature—earning him the nickname "silent assassin"—Snell assumed increased leadership responsibilities, registering six games with 20 or more points while scoring under ten in thirteen contests.

In the Mountain West Conference tournament, Snell averaged 17.7 points per game while shooting an impressive 60% from three-point range. A standout moment included sinking three triples within 55 seconds during the semifinals against San Diego State, followed by a streak of 13 consecutive points in the championship match versus UNLV, contributing significantly to their second straight tournament crown. His performance earned him tournament MVP honors as well as ESPN’s national player of the week distinction and Third Team All-MWC recognition.

Entering the NCAA tournament as the No. 3 seed ranked tenth nationally, New Mexico was upset by Harvard, concluding their season at 29–6; Snell struggled offensively, scoring only nine points on inefficient shooting.

Following his junior year, Snell declared for the NBA draft. Although his collegiate statistics reflected the team's balanced offensive approach, professional scouts were attracted to his length, perimeter shooting ability, and defensive improvements.

Chicago Bulls (2013–2016)

Snell was chosen with the 20th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls. He officially signed with Chicago on July 10, 2013, and participated in the 2013 NBA Summer League, where he averaged 11.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists across five games. In his rookie season, Snell appeared in 77 contests, posting averages of 4.5 points and 1.6 rebounds per game.

During the 2014 Summer League, he elevated his performance to an average of 20 points per game and was named to the All-NBA Summer League first team. On February 10, 2015, Snell recorded a career-best 24 points during a victory against the Sacramento Kings.

In the early portion of the 2015–16 season, Snell was a regular starter but was briefly removed from the lineup in December. Taking advantage of an opportunity due to injury on December 28, he came off the bench to lead the team with 22 points in a win over the Toronto Raptors.

Milwaukee Bucks (2016–2019)

On October 17, 2016, Snell was exchanged to the Milwaukee Bucks in return for Michael Carter-Williams. After sitting out the season opener due to an ankle sprain, Snell made his debut on October 29, contributing six points as a starter in a victory against the Brooklyn Nets. On December 26, he achieved a season-best by sinking six three-pointers and tallying 20 points despite the Bucks falling to the Washington Wizards.

During a game on February 24, 2017, Snell experienced an unusual statless performance over 28 minutes against the Utah Jazz. In March, he posted new personal and seasonal scoring highs of 21 and later improved to 26 points. In the playoffs that April, he recorded career-best figures with 19 points and five three-pointers.

Snell secured a contract extension with Milwaukee on July 31, 2017, agreeing to a four-year deal worth $44 million with potential incentives that could elevate the total to $46 million. He equaled his season-high scoring mark of eighteen points on March 23, 2018 during a victory over his previous team, the Chicago Bulls.

Detroit Pistons (2019–2020)

On June 20, 2019, Snell was sent to the Detroit Pistons along with the draft rights to Kevin Porter Jr. in exchange for Jon Leuer.

Atlanta Hawks (2020–2021)

On November 20, 2020, Snell and Khyri Thomas were traded to the Atlanta Hawks in return for Dewayne Dedmon. On March 11, 2021, Snell made a buzzer-beating three-pointer to clinch a 121–120 victory over the Toronto Raptors, completing a comeback from 15 points down in the final quarter.

Portland Trail Blazers (2021–2022)

Snell signed with the Portland Trail Blazers on August 10, 2021.

New Orleans Pelicans (2022)

On February 8, 2022, Snell was part of a trade that sent him, along with Larry Nance Jr. and CJ McCollum, from Portland to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Josh Hart, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Tomáš Satoranský, Didi Louzada, a protected first-round pick in 2022, and several second-round selections.

Maine Celtics (2023–2024)

The Maine Celtics acquired Snell on January 27, 2023. He participated in a free agent workout with the Golden State Warriors on August 8, 2023, before returning to Maine on October 29.

Sioux Falls Skyforce (2024–2025)

On October 2, 2024, Snell was traded to the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Boulazac Basket Dordogne (2025–present)

Snell joined Boulazac Basket Dordogne of the LNB Pro A on August 23, 2025. In just his second game of the season on October 3, 2025, he tallied 27 points against Cholet Basket.

Personal life

Snell met his wife Ashley at a barbecue organized by his former Chicago Bulls teammate Jimmy Butler. The couple has two sons who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

During an appearance on The Today Show on June 16, 2023, Snell disclosed that he himself was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder after recognizing traits similar to those of his eldest son.

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Chicago | 77 || 12 || 16.0 || .384 || .320 || .756 || 1.6 || .9 || .4 || .2 || 4.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Chicago | 72 || 22 || 19.6 || .429 || .371 || .800 || 2.4 || .9 || .4 || .2 || 6.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Chicago | 64 || 33 || 20.3 || .372 || .361 || .909 || 3.1 || 1.0 || .3 || .3 || 5.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Milwaukee | 80 || 80 || 29.2 || .455 || .406 || .810 || 3.1 || 1.2 || .7 || .2 || 8.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Milwaukee | 75 || 59 || 27.4 || .435 || .403 || .792 || 1.9 || 1.3 || .6 || .4 || 6.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Milwaukee | 74 || 12 || 17.6 || .452 || .397 || .881 || 2.1 || .9 || .3 || .2 || 6.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Detroit | 59 || 57 || 27.8 || .445 || .402 || 1.000||1.9||2.2||.5||.3||8.0 |- | style="text-align:left;" |Atlanta

|47||23||21.1||.515||.569||.000||2.4||1.3||.3||.2||5.3

|-

| style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2 |2021–22 NBA season
|- 
|style="text-align:left;" |Portland 
|38||10||14.4||.371||.320||.000||1.9||.5||.2||.2||2.6 

|-

|style="text-align:left;" |New Orleans 
|15||2||18.5||.446||.396||.000||2.1||.5||.5||.1||5.9 

|- class="sortbottom"

|style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career 
|601||310||21.8||.431||.394||.846||2.3||1.1||.4||.2||6.1

Playoffs

|- | style="text-align:left;"| 2014 | style="text-align:left;"| Chicago | 5 || 0 || 9.2 || .222 || .000 || – || 1.2 || .4 || .2 || .2 || .8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2015 | style="text-align:left;"| Chicago | 11 || 0 || 12.7 || .341 || .333 || 1.000 || 1.5 || .5|| .0 || .3 || 3.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2017 | style="text-align:left;"| Milwaukee | 6 || 6 || 30.8 || .500 || .516 || – || 2.3 || 1.5 || .2 || .2 || 10.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2018 | style="text-align:left;"| Milwaukee | 7 || 2 || 19.1 || .292 || .238 || – || 1.9 || .6 || .4 || .6 || 2.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2019 | style="text-align:left;"| Milwaukee | 9 || 0 || 3.1 || .333 || .500 || – || .2 || .0 || .1 || .1 || .6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2021 | style="text-align:left;"| Atlanta | 9 || 0 || 7.3 || .125 || .091 || – || .6 || .2 || .2 || .1 || .6 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 47 || 8 || 12.7 || .350 || .330 || 1.000 || 1.2 || .5 || .2|| .2|| 2.9

College

|- | style="text-align:left;" | 2010–11

| style="text-align:left;" | New Mexico 
| 34||7||17.5||.364||.345||.735||1.9||.9||.2||.2||4.4

|- | style="text-align:left;" | 2011–12

| style="text-align:left;" | New Mexico 
| 35|| 35||25.5|| .448|| .387|| .831|| 2.7|| 2.3|| .5|| .4||10.5

|- | style="text-align:left;" | 2012–13

| style="text-align:left;" | New Mexico 
| 35|| 35|| 31.2|| .422|| .390|| .843|| 2.6|| 2.9|| .8|| .5|| 12.5

|- class="sortbottom"

| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career 
|104||77||24.8||.421||.380||.821||2.1||2.0||.5||.3||7.4