Tony Snell (basketball) facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids
Tony Snell
No. 21 – Sioux Falls Skyforce
Snell with the Detroit Pistons in 2019
Shooting guard / small forward
Personal information
Born	(1991-11-10) November 10, 1991 (age 33) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
High school	Martin Luther King (Riverside, California) Westwind Academy (Phoenix, Arizona)
Listed height	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight	213 lb (97 kg)
Career information
College	New Mexico (2010–2013)
NBA Draft	2013 / Round: 1 / Pick: 20th overall
Selected by the Chicago Bulls
Pro career	2013–present
League	NBA G League
Career history
2013–2016	Chicago Bulls
2016–2019	Milwaukee Bucks
2019–2020	Detroit Pistons
2020–2021	Atlanta Hawks
2021–2022	Portland Trail Blazers
2022	New Orleans Pelicans
2023–2024	Maine Celtics
2024–present	Sioux Falls Skyforce

Career highlights and awards
Third-team All-MWC (2013) MWC tournament MVP (2013)

Tony Rena Snell Jr. (born November 10, 1991) is an American professional basketball player. He currently plays for the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the NBA G League. Before turning professional, he played college basketball for the New Mexico Lobos. The Chicago Bulls picked him as the 20th player in the 2013 NBA draft. Tony Snell is also known as the first NBA player to share publicly that he has autism.

Tony Snell was born in Watts, Los Angeles, California. He later moved to Phoenix, Arizona, to finish high school. During his time with the New Mexico Lobos, he was the starting shooting guard. He helped his team win two Mountain West Conference (MWC) championships. They also earned spots in the NCAA tournament.

High School Basketball

Tony Snell went to Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, California. This was during the 2008–09 school year. He played alongside Kawhi Leonard, who later became a two-time NBA Finals MVP. Their team, the Wolves, had a great season, winning 30 games and losing only 3. They were ranked number 7 nationally.

Snell averaged 14 points, 7 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 5 assists per game. In 2009, he moved to Westwind Preparatory Academy in Phoenix. There, he continued to play well, averaging 19.5 points, 10 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 2.7 steals, and 1.8 blocks.

College Basketball Journey

Tony Snell played college basketball for the New Mexico Lobos. He was seen as a promising player even before joining college.

First Year: Learning the Ropes

Tony Snell joined the New Mexico Lobos in 2010. The team was young, with many new players. Snell was one of four freshmen who played a lot. The team had an up-and-down season but finished with 22 wins and 13 losses.

Snell played in almost every game. He averaged 4.4 points and 2 rebounds. He scored over 10 points four times. In one game against BYU, he scored 16 points. He also scored a season-high 19 points against Wyoming.

Second Year: Becoming a Starter

In his second year (2011-12), Snell became a starter for the Lobos. The team was known for its strong defense. They allowed opponents to score only 59.3 points per game. This was the lowest in the team's history.

Snell showed he could score a lot of points. He scored in double figures in 20 games. He even scored 24 points twice. However, he also had games where he scored very few points. Overall, he averaged 10.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. The Lobos won the Mountain West Conference regular season and tournament championships. Snell was named to the All-Tournament team.

Third Year: Leading the Team

For his junior year (2012-13), Snell continued to be a key player. The Lobos again played tough defense. They often won close games by coming from behind. Snell led the team in scoring in 10 games. He averaged 12.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. He was also the best three-point shooter on the team.

The Lobos started the season with 12 wins in a row. They reached number 11 in the national rankings. Snell took on more of a leadership role. His mother called him the "silent assassin," a nickname fans loved. He scored 20 points or more in six games. In the MWC tournament, Snell played exceptionally well. He was named the tournament MVP. After the season, he was named Third Team All-MWC. The Lobos finished with 29 wins and 6 losses.

Snell decided to leave college early to enter the NBA draft. Scouts were impressed by his height, shooting skills, and improved defense.

Professional Basketball Career

Tony Snell has played for several teams in the NBA and the NBA G League.

Chicago Bulls (2013–2016)

Tony Snell playing for the Chicago Bulls in 2014

The Chicago Bulls picked Tony Snell as the 20th player in the 2013 NBA draft. He joined the Bulls for the Summer League, where he played well. In his first year (2013–14), he played in 77 games. He averaged 4.5 points and 1.6 rebounds.

In 2014, he played in the NBA Summer League again. He averaged 20 points per game and was named to the All-NBA Summer League first team. On February 10, 2015, he scored a career-high 24 points against the Sacramento Kings. For the 2015–16 season, Snell started as the Bulls' small forward. He had a strong game on December 28, scoring 22 points against the Toronto Raptors.

Milwaukee Bucks (2016–2019)

In October 2016, Snell was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. He quickly became a starter for the team. On December 26, 2016, he made a career-high six three-pointers. He scored 20 points in that game. On March 28, 2017, he set a new career high with 26 points against the Charlotte Hornets. In the playoffs, he scored 19 points and made five three-pointers in a game against the Toronto Raptors.

In July 2017, Snell signed a new four-year contract with the Bucks. He continued to be a reliable player for them.

Detroit Pistons (2019–2020)

Tony Snell was traded to the Detroit Pistons in June 2019. He played for the Pistons during the 2019–20 season.

Atlanta Hawks (2020–2021)

In November 2020, Snell was traded to the Atlanta Hawks. On March 11, 2021, he made a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer. This shot gave the Hawks a 121–120 victory over the Toronto Raptors. It capped off a big comeback for his team.

Portland Trail Blazers (2021–2022)

The Portland Trail Blazers signed Tony Snell in August 2021. He played for them at the start of the 2021–22 season.

New Orleans Pelicans (2022)

In February 2022, Snell was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans. He played the rest of the 2021–22 season with them.

Maine Celtics (2023–2024)

Tony Snell joined the Maine Celtics of the NBA G League in January 2023. He returned to the Maine Celtics in October 2023.

Sioux Falls Skyforce (2024–present)

In October 2024, Snell was traded to the Sioux Falls Skyforce. He continues to play for them.

Personal Life and Autism Diagnosis

Tony Snell is married to Ashley, and they have two sons. Both of his sons have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

On June 16, 2023, Tony Snell shared on The Today Show that he also has autism spectrum disorder. He realized this after his oldest son's evaluation helped him see similarities in his own life experiences.

Career Statistics

Here are some of Tony Snell's basketball statistics from his career.

NBA Regular Season Stats

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2013–14	Chicago	77	12	16.0	.384	.320	.756	1.6	.9	.4	.2	4.5
2014–15	Chicago	72	22	19.6	.429	.371	.800	2.4	.9	.4	.2	6.0
2015–16	Chicago	64	33	20.3	.372	.361	.909	3.1	1.0	.3	.3	5.3
2016–17	Milwaukee	80	80	29.2	.455	.406	.810	3.1	1.2	.7	.2	8.5
2017–18	Milwaukee	75	59	27.4	.435	.403	.792	1.9	1.3	.6	.4	6.9
2018–19	Milwaukee	74	12	17.6	.452	.397	.881	2.1	.9	.3	.2	6.0
2019–20	Detroit	59	57	27.8	.445	.402	1.000	1.9	2.2	.5	.3	8.0
2020–21	Atlanta	47	23	21.1	.515	.569	1.000	2.4	1.3	.3	.2	5.3
2021–22	Portland	38	10	14.4	.371	.320	1.000	1.9	.5	.2	.2	2.6
2021–22	New Orleans	15	2	18.5	.446	.396	1.000	2.1	.5	.5	.1	5.9
Career		601	310	21.8	.431	.394	.846	2.3	1.1	.4	.2	6.1

NBA Playoff Stats

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2014	Chicago	5	0	9.2	.222	.000	–	1.2	.4	.2	.2	.8
2015	Chicago	11	0	12.7	.341	.333	1.000	1.5	.5	.0	.3	3.9
2017	Milwaukee	6	6	30.8	.500	.516	–	2.3	1.5	.2	.2	10.0
2018	Milwaukee	7	2	19.1	.292	.238	–	1.9	.6	.4	.6	2.7
2019	Milwaukee	9	0	3.1	.333	.500	–	.2	.0	.1	.1	.6
2021	Atlanta	9	0	7.3	.125	.091	–	.6	.2	.2	.1	.6
Career		47	8	12.7	.350	.330	1.000	1.2	.5	.2	.2	2.9

College Stats

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2010–11	New Mexico	34	7	17.5	.364	.345	.735	1.9	.9	.2	.2	4.4
2011–12	New Mexico	35	35	25.5	.448	.387	.831	2.7	2.3	.5	.4	10.5
2012–13	New Mexico	35	35	31.2	.422	.390	.843	2.6	2.9	.8	.5	12.5
Career		104	77	24.8	.421	.380	.821	2.1	2.0	.5	.3	7.4