Hardcourt royalty: Debbie Antonelli turns free throws into fundraising for Special Olympics
Moultrie News | Oct. 17, 2026
For Debbie Antonelli, basketball has always been more than a game. It has shaped her career, opened doors throughout her life and, through an idea inspired by her son, become a way to help athletes with intellectual disabilities find opportunities of their own.
Antonelli, an ESPN and CBS college basketball analyst and member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, spoke about her career, her family and her commitment to Special Olympics during the Oct. 15 Mount Pleasant Chamber of Commerce Luncheon at the Omar Shrine Center. At the center of her story was 24 Hours Nothing But Net, a fundraiser she created in 2019 that challenges her to make 100 free throws at the top of every hour for 24 consecutive hours.
The effort has raised more than $1.6 million for Special Olympics over eight years. Now preparing for its ninth year, Antonelli hopes to reach $2 million in total fundraising. The idea began with a question she asked herself: How could she turn her love of basketball into something more?
“I love to shoot. I love the game and I can still shoot it,” Antonelli said. “I'm trying to figure out how can I monetize my ability to shoot?”
The idea began to take shape after a friend ran the New York City Marathon. Antonelli knew she was an athlete, but running 26.2 miles was not a challenge she wanted to take on. Instead, she began thinking about what she could do on a basketball court.
“I wonder if I could shoot free throws,” she said.
From there, Antonelli developed a plan to make 100 free throws every hour for 24 hours, totaling 2,400 shots. She would ask supporters to donate a penny for every basket she made, turning the challenge into a grassroots fundraiser that people could participate in for a manageable amount.
The first year, Antonelli held the event at the Mount Pleasant Town Hall gym. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she moved the challenge to her driveway, where she continued for six years before returning to the gym in 2025.
The town has since named the gymnasium the Debbie Antonelli Gymnasium, affectionately known as "The Deb." Antonelli said the recognition is humbling, particularly because the space represents a community that has supported her work.
“It's a little hard for me to say out loud because it invokes so much emotion. It's so humbling to see your name on that,” Antonelli said.
For Antonelli, however, the fundraiser's significance is not measured by her name, the number of shots she makes or the money raised alone. Her middle son, Frankie, who is 29 and has Down syndrome, was the inspiration behind the initiative.
Frankie's experiences helped shape Antonelli's understanding of how important it is for people with intellectual disabilities to have opportunities to participate, build relationships and develop independence.
“Special Olympics helped my son be able to go to Clemson and graduate in the LIFE program,” Antonelli said.
The ClemsonLIFE (Learning is for Everyone) program provides a college experience for students with intellectual disabilities, emphasizing academic learning, career preparation and independent living skills.
Frankie graduated from the program and now lives independently. He has two jobs, lives in a two-bedroom apartment and walks to the places he needs to go.
Antonelli said that kind of independence was not something she and her husband, Frank, had always believed would be possible for their son.
“If we did not have a place for Frankie, I don't believe he would have had the confidence or the independence that he's been able to develop,” she said.
That experience has informed Antonelli's advocacy for people with disabilities and her belief that disability should not define a person's potential.
“Just because somebody has an intellectual or physical disability, it doesn't limit them; it doesn't define who they are, but everybody needs a place to play,” she said.
Special Olympics provides more than a place to compete, Antonelli said. Athletes also need support to train, organize activities and socialize, opportunities that can help them build confidence and connections beyond the playing field.
The fundraiser helps support those opportunities while raising awareness about the athletes it serves.
Antonelli's own commitment requires extensive preparation. She continues training throughout the year to maintain her shooting ability and physical fitness. During the 24-hour challenge, she does not sleep or take naps, returning to the court at the top of every hour to complete another 100 shots.
In 2026, she made 96 percent of her free throws during the marathon. Across the initiative's eight years, her average has been 94 percent.
Even as the fundraising total grows, she remains focused on making the effort accessible to the community. A penny for every successful free throw amounts to a $24 donation for the full 2,400-shot challenge.
“It's really a penny at a time,” she said during her Chamber of Commerce remarks.
Antonelli also writes handwritten thank-you notes to donors, recognizing the individual contributions that have helped the fundraiser grow. The event's success has allowed her to pursue additional funding opportunities, including applying for her first grant this year.
Her goal is to reach $2 million, but she said she is confident the milestone will come with continued community support.
“I don't feel the pressure because we're at 1.6,” she said. “I know we're going to get to $2 million. I just don't know when. Hopefully this year.”
The next 24 Hours Nothing But Net is scheduled for May 14 to 15, at The Deb. For the ninth year, the event will begin at noon Friday and conclude at noon Saturday, with free throws continuing at the top of every hour.
The event is also expected to include live music, food trucks and a community gathering where attendees can bring lawn chairs and spend time together while supporting the cause. The full 24-hour marathon will be livestreamed on YouTube, X and Facebook.
Antonelli said Mount Pleasant Mayor Will Haynie helped bring the event back to the town gym and encouraged the effort to grow beyond its original format. That community involvement reflects the way she now views the fundraiser.
“I don't look at this as my event anymore,” Antonelli said. “This is our event.”
For Antonelli, the initiative is an opportunity to help families find resources and to show what people with disabilities can accomplish when given the chance.
“I'm just asking people to have an awareness,” she said. “And if they can give, great.”
As she prepares for another 24 hours on the free-throw line, Antonelli is asking the Mount Pleasant community to continue showing up, whether through donations, attendance or simply learning more about the athletes the fundraiser supports.
What began as one person's idea has grown into a community effort, with every shot bringing Special Olympics closer to its next milestone.
