Athletes with aspergers

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Does anybody think Gilbert Arenas is an aspie?

here's a story about most of his athletic life...

I've also thought shawn marion, steve nash, maybe baron davis, so many other bball players I've seen may be... but so many are so humble... and dani pedrosa, max biaggi, many other motorcycle racers I've seen alot of as well.

Just realizing that all these people I've seen so much of could have similar outlooks on life as I do. I need to stop drinking.

I have no clue who he is. I really don't follow sports that closely. However if that's a photo of him in your avatar then he certainly has the Neanderthal forehead like so many male Aspies do. (No offense to the men, some women have them too but just seems more pronounced in the men.)

I wonder though if there could ever be that many pro athletes with Aspergers. Just for the simple fact most of us seem so dang awkward & clumsy. I 'spose a few select Aspies could be athletically gifted while others are better with computers or numbers. I would say they would be a rare breed among Aspies though.

There is a guy with Asperger's in the province I live in that is into weight lifting and all.

That's why I included the link with a long story about gilbert arenas in it... why do they make the hyperlinks so hard to see on WP?

Steve nash is the guy in my avatar, very quiet, underspoken, short, determined, and the NBA MVP for the last 2 years in a row he probably should have gotten it this year too but he probably wont. He plays the game in a way I've never seen it played before. HERE (CLICK THIS THIS IS THE LINK) is a great video of steve nash.

And THIS is the gilbert arenas video.

Plz watch... these are amazing folks.


(It's also worth noting that the Nash video is all in a single game... he could have easily broken the record for most assists in a playoff game but he humbly stopped dishing with a couple minutes to go)

Most athletes are more likely to have AD(H)D than AS. However, I do think people with AS may excel at sports such as middle and long-distance running, sports that people can train for by themselves.

I think Roger Bannister had strong AS traits, mainly the positive ones. He was smart, charted his own course (which put him out of favor with the British press) and excelled in a highly systematizing profession, medicine. He approached his running with a scientific approach an NT never would have used.

Paavo Nurmi of Finland and Jules Ladoumege of France also likely had AS traits, but they were not nearly as successful in all aspects of their lives as Bannister. Nurmi's running cost him his marriage after only a year, and he died an embittered old man. Ladoumege lived alone in a small apartment with only a cat and a dog for company, having been suspended for taking excessive expense money. (Nurmi had been as well). Bannister, on the other hand, went on to a distinguished career in neurology and has been married for over 50 years.

Bannister is an example of a success story, and an embodiment of his credo that nothing is impossible. When I feel I can't do something, I think of his example.

I have both AS and ADHD and can say the later might not be as likely to be beneficial in some ways as sports often require intense focus and concentration... ADHD doesn't exactly provide that as much as AS does. That's just my thoughts.

I agree, Mish. Roger Bannister was a man of intense focus and was a top miler. He was also very smart. He succeeded in a way very few runners have before or since.

If the sport is a personal obsession, the scenario is completely realistic. Especially if it's a solo sport, such as racing of some kind. I used to compete in a particular racing sport on an expert level. I had people training right there with me, but no dependent interaction with them was necessary. When the sport was no longer an obsession of mine, I stopped racing.

I do sport. Martial Arts, Taekwon-do and im starting to learn some gymnatic stuff and capoeria.

I wish I had a demo video of me doing my stuff. But this picture is the closest I have



I think theres a probably alot of athlietes with Aspergers since getting really good requires determination. Plus alot of aspergers people have a high pain threshold and just keep going at what they are interested in.

I have quite resnable athletic ablitys.

Roger Bannister said the person who can continue to drive himself after the effort gets painful is the one who will win.

Ack!! ! Image too wide.
Image requiring me to scroll horizontally in order to read people's posts.
Not good for discussion forums.

Obviously You are using a lower resolution. 1024x768? Because I don't have to scroll.

My guess for athletes with AS would have to be the following:

1. Barry Bonds
2. Ricky Williams
3. Darryl Strawberry
4. Mike Tyson
5. Dennis Rodman

agent zero is my hero. arenas and nash are on my very short list of nba players i like. too many exploit the fact that they have talent and forget the concept of a team.
college ball is the way to go. more competitive and only the team that plays like a family can win it.

Tony Attwood, in his book, The Complete Guide to Asperger Syndrome, says that many AS people can excel in solitary sports such as swimming, golf, and running. He says, "The single minded determination of people with Asperger's and time dedicated to practice can lead to outstanding sporting success." That sounds a great deal like Roger Bannister!

I had to search and found this thread because I didn't want to redundantly start a new one.

I think people may mistake Gil Arenas to have AS because of his goofy behavior and egocentric style of play (chucking and non passer). But we won't know until he admits he was officially diagnosed.

I think generally speaking most players in team sports would have trouble to find success. There is a need to be able to mentally synchronize with teammates and have empathy in opponents' strategies. Something autism spectrum people struggle with.

Here is my suspicion of an athlete who has AS. Former (or still) NBA player Adam Morrison. He is socially awkward and is sensitive of fan comments during road games. One coach would notice Adam react to a random fan's heckling. It's a guess but am not too sure.