By Bill Sorrell
Correspondent, The Alabama Baptist
Tony Snell got an assignment during his rookie season in the NBA that was pretty embarrassing.
A small forward and shooting guard with the Chicago Bulls, Snell had to sing “Happy Birthday” to teammates when their day arrived.
“I am not good at singing at all and I had to sing it loud,” Snell said.
Even if he missed a few notes in the song, Snell has struck the right chords on the court. He has contributed to two straight playoff seasons with accurate shooting percentages. During the 2014–15 season, he hit 86 of 174 two-point baskets (.494), 73 of 197 three-pointers (.371) and 44 of 55 free throws (.800). He averaged six points per game in 19.6 minutes.
“My strength is I can shoot the ball really well. I can dribble really well, rebound and I am more of an unselfish person,” said Snell, who was drafted in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft and 20th overall. “I like to get my team involved but at the same time I have to get myself involved.”
During the 2014 NBA Summer League, he was named first team and averaged 20 points, four rebounds and 2.8 assists.
During his rookie season in 2013–14, he averaged 4.5 points per game.
While playing three seasons at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, he led the Lobos to national rankings, to shares of two Mountain West Conference (MWC) regular season titles and to two NCAA tournament appearances. He averaged 17.7 points during the MWC tournament his junior season in 2012–13.
Growing up tough
Snell grew up tough in rough neighborhoods in Los Angeles, and he “didn’t grow up as a rich kid,” he said. “I kept praying that God will protect me and my family. We were just trying to get through the struggles.”
When he was 5 or 6 years old, his mother, Sherika Brown, took him to church.
“I fell in love with God,” Snell said. “I kept it going. As I kept growing up, I kept going to church.”
He attended City of Refuge church in Gardena, California. A spiritual role model was Pastor Noel Jones. “He definitely helped me out, my mom and my whole family,” Snell said. “Going to his church has been amazing.”
Staying strong spiritually is vital, he said.
“There were some health issues in my family but I keep praying that God will give us strength to overcome whatever we are going through and just have faith. You have to stay strong at all times as far as being a Christian. I’ve learned that through believing I can overcome anything. I keep believing in God and know that He always has your back whatever you are going through.”
As Snell grows in his faith, it has come to mean “everything to him,” he said. “If you have faith, you believe in something and you keep believing it will happen.”
Reading his Bible has helped him stay positive and helps him witness to his teammates through prayer.They see him praying before games and before meals.
“I pray every day when I wake up and before I go to sleep,” he said.
Teammates also have provided motivation for Snell, who is 6 feet 7 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds. While Michael Jordan was once a role model for Snell, he now looks up to the current Bulls.
“Seeing my teammates work hard makes me work hard because they are doing everything they can and they expect the same from me,” he said.
Bulls power forward/center Paul Gasol said that Snell, 23, is an athletic player with a “lot of upsides. He has got a lot to learn still but he has got a lot of potential to become a really good player.”
Snell is not accustomed to people recognizing him or knowing his name.
“I am a shy guy,” he said. “(So) that is definitely new to me. I’ve got to keep being around my teammates and open up more.”
Involved in community service projects, Snell talks to kids “to try to motivate them.”
And there’s a reason why.
“Jesus means everything to me,” he said. “He is the one who brought me here. He is the one who gave me the gift to be where I am today.”
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