Charles Barkley – Source: Christian Petersen / Getty
Charles Barkley is urging NBA teams to sign Tony Snell so he can care for autistic sons.
G-league player Tony Snell is making headlines for his skills and his hope to grace the NBA hardwood once again. The baller who was the 20th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls is just shy of the league’s required 10th year of service which would make him eligible for the retiree benefits program.
Earlier this week, a bombshell report released by Yahoo Sports pulled back the curtain on why Snell’s return to the league is so urgent.
“Of course, I want to come back and play, but I have a bigger purpose now,” Snell told Yahoo Sports. “It’s not about me anymore. It’s about my boys.”
“It’s something I truly need,” he added. “Not only for myself, but for my wife and my kids.”
He went on to say that he needs retiree healthcare to take care of his sons Karter and Kenzo who were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
After the article hit social media, many questioned why the NBA couldn’t make an exception and Yahoo reports that Tony’s story hit national TV thanks to Charles Barkley who urged NBA teams to sign Snell.
On Thursday, Barkley debated with his co-hosts Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith about how the NBA could help Snell.
“By the end of this week. Because he’s got two kids with autism and he needs to play ’til the end of the year to get a 10-year medical to help him take care of his two autistic kids. I’m hoping– man, the NBA’s been great to all of us sitting up here. And you guys are going to be playing basketball forever, making a gazillion dollars. I hope one of you guys signs Tony so his two autistic kids can get great medical care.” said Charles.
The trio questioned if NBA Commissioner Adam Silver could make an exception and cited the NBA’s claims of being a “brotherhood.”
“Well I’m just telling you. Oh, I know. I’m just saying I hope a team signs him for the rest of the season because I don’t know a lot about autism. I ain’t going to say that. But man, I know it’s got to be expensive to have two young kids with that situation. So I’m hoping the NBA– we always talk about what a family we are—-let’s sign that kid for the rest of the season.” Barkley pleaded on Inside The NBA.
Hopefully, the pressure from Charles and others will lead to a team signing Snell. We all know a certain team in Memphis needs some veteran leadership.
You can watch Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson discuss the situation below.
