Charles Barkley Appeals to NBA Teams to Sign Tony Snell to Secure Benefits for Autistic Sons
TNT analyst Charles Barkley used some of his time air time Thursday night to call on NBA teams to sign veteran swingman Tony Snell to a contract.
Not because of what he can do on the floor, but because of what it can do for Snell off of it.
“I hope one of you guys signs Tony so his two autistic kids can get great medical care,” Barkley said on Inside the NBA. “We always talk about what a family we are. Let’s sign that kid for the rest of the season.”
As a recent story from Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports detailed, Snell has two sons who have been diagnosed with autism. The medical plan that Snell is currently eligible for as part of the players union only provides medical insurance coverage for himself, not for his family.
However, if Snell is signed to an active roster by the end of the day on Friday, he will qualify for the union’s premium medical plan in his 10th year of service, which would provide coverage for his entire family.
Snell is currently playing for the Boston Celtics’ G League affiliate, the Maine Celtics. He previously played for the Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, Portland Trail Blazers and New Orleans Pelicans over his nine NBA seasons.
It remains to be seen whether Snell will be signed to an active NBA roster by Friday’s deadline, but if there ever was a time to help a player in need, this is it.
