More than 500 South Carolina athletes traveled to Lexington County this past weekend to compete in the 2026 Special Olympics State Basketball Championships. 

Basketball is a very popular Special Olympics sport, and the state championships are one of the largest annual events for the South Carolina branch. Athletes from all over the state get together to compete at a statewide level while promoting inclusion, confidence, and community engagement.

This year’s event was held at three sites. 

Meadow Glen Middle School hosted the individual skills portion of the day. Players of all ages were able to show up and work on their game. 

River Bluff and Lexington High School held the actual games. River Bluff hosted the unified five-on-five teams, while Lexington had the traditional five-on-five and the unified and traditional three-on-three teams. 

The event was presented by 24 Hours Nothing But Net with Debbie Antonelli. She is an ESPN sports analyst and has been organizing the event for eight years, raising over $1 million. 

Antonelli was inspired by her son Frankie, who has Down Syndrome and is a Special Olympics athlete. 

On May 9, she will shoot 100 free throws every hour for 24 hours during an event to raise money and awareness for the Special Olympics.