Utah Jazz assistant coach Scott Morrison has always known there is a brotherhood among NBA players. In April, he was reminded there is a similar kinship among NBA coaches as well. To understand the kinship among those in the league, one only needed to look at the feet of the head coaches pacing the sidelines this past April during Autism Acceptance Month.

In support, thanks to an initiative created by Morrison and his wife, Susanne, NBA coaches league-wide wore customized Nike shoes to generate awareness and acceptance for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The shoes were then autographed and auctioned off, with all proceeds going to the To the Max Foundation, a non-profit founded by the Morrisons to support individuals and families living with autism on their journey.

In 2022, the Prince Edward Island native and his family were in Australia, where he was the head coach of the Perth Wildcats in the National Basketball League. The Morrisons began to notice that their 2-year-old son Max was not as verbal as other children his age. After undergoing testing and screening, they learned that Max was autistic, and the Morrisons made the decision to move back to Canada to ensure Max would receive the support he needed to thrive.

“When we were in Perth, that’s when we first kind of realized that Max might have autism,” Morrison said. “I ended up having dinner with [former NBAer] Aron Baynes during the season there, and we were talking about our kids, and he said you’ve got to talk with Joe and Renae Ingles. His wife connected Susanne with Renae, and they were a big help.”

The Ingles were able to provide advice and support because they had previously gone through this same process following their son Jacob’s autism diagnosis. After speaking with the Ingles, Scott and Susanne began to think about moving to Salt Lake City, Utah, where the Ingles had spent eight years of Joe’s NBA career. Thinking they would stay in Salt Lake for a year to get Max settled as they waited to plot their next move, what happened couldn’t have been better scripted.

“The funny thing was, when we left Australia, we had no jobs, I was [coaching] GLOBL Jam in Toronto, we were talking about setting up shop for a year in Salt Lake, and while we were considering that, Will [Hardy] called me and offered me the G League job in Salt Lake City, so we jumped on it,” Morrison said. “It worked out really, really great for everyone, and Max is in a good spot here.”

Following a year of coaching Utah’s G League affiliate Salt Lake City Stars, Morrison moved to Hardy’s bench with the Jazz this past season. After settling in, the Morrisons wanted to continue the work started by the Ingles during their time in Utah, and the To the Max Foundation was born.

“When [the Ingles] left Utah, they kind of left a void in fundraising and awareness, and that’s when we thought maybe we could do something," Morrison said. “Once we got started in Salt Lake, and got situated and organized, we came up with the idea just to see if we could get a few coaches to wear customized shoes.”

Initially, Morrison contacted “eight or nine” head coaches around the league that he knew personally. All of them immediately signed on. After speaking with David Fogel, the Executive Director of the NBA Coaches Association, the idea quickly grew larger than the Morrisons had ever anticipated.

“It was going to be a small thing, and then I reached out to David Fogel, and he said, ‘Well, why don't we try to get all the coaches?’ Morrison said. “They all jumped on board, and it was pretty cool to see all that. I couldn’t actually believe it. I was cc’d on an email to all the coaches, and literally that day, they all responded with their shoe sizes and said they were in.”

Since the initiative was announced, Morrison has heard from many NBA fans around the league, who have expressed their appreciation and shared their own stories.

“There was a story in Perth [before we left] and hundreds of people reached out to us after that, we were getting a lot of people reaching out and explaining their connection to autism," Morrison said. "Literally every case is different, every kid, every person is different. It can be hard to explain sometimes, but I guess that’s part of the messaging we’re trying to get out.”

The Morrisons have greatly appreciated the support from the NBA as a whole and the continued support from the Jazz organization.

“Once they caught wind of the whole shoe thing, our equipment guys handled all the shipping, getting shoes out to all the teams, communicating to the other team’s equipment people so the coaches know when to wear them, on what nights,” Morrison said. “Our PR team put stuff out, shared it with other team PR departments. This wouldn’t have happened without the Jazz, they've been unreal.”

The Morrisons' heartening support from coaches across the league and reaction from those watching from home has been encouraging. As Autism Acceptance Month comes to a close, they want people to know that acceptance and awareness are important every day, not just during April.

“It’s still hard,” Morrison said. “[Max] is non-speaking now, and we’re kind of hoping he can pick that up at some point in time, but as long as he’s happy and can communicate what he needs, he’s doing well.”

As the Morrisons continue to navigate their path forward, Scott says the first initiative with their foundation has only solidified its purpose.

“We want to help autistic individuals live to the max.”