Nothing but Net and $20,000! 

Edmondite turned OU student, Jake Amy woke up on January 23 expecting an average day—studying for tests, tackling organic chemistry homework, and later cheering on the Thunder from the nosebleed section at the Paycom Center. But his night took an unexpected turn when his friend Dillon led him toward their seats. 

“When we turned toward the lower level, I was shocked,” Jake recalled. “I thought we were in the nosebleeds!” Just as they were getting settled, a tap on the shoulder changed everything. The pair had been selected for the free throw contest. Dillon, not eager to showcase his basketball skills, passed on the opportunity, but Jake was in. 

Jake spoke briefly with the announcers, soaking in the already surreal moment. When the contest began, his free throws weren’t perfect—he sank two or three—and that was enough. Then, the real challenge came: a half-court shot for $20K from MidFirst Bank. 

Jake stepped onto the court with Thunder’s mascot, Rumble. He listened carefully to the instructions: no stepping over the line, no running toward the players, and no celebrating too wildly with the fans. 

Despite the thousands of eyes upon him – and the thousands of dollars on the line – Jake says he felt an odd sense of confidence about the shot. “I’m surprisingly good at those,” he said. “I went yesterday and made four or five out of twenty.” The science major coming out in him, Jake added that the average success rate for the shot is 1 in 20. 

With a smooth motion, he launched the ball. Time seemed to slow as it sailed through the air—and then, swish! The crowd erupted. “I had no thought I’d make it,” Jake admitted. “But when I saw it go in, I was just in shock.” 

Even some members of the Thunder bench reacted with disbelief, and the entire arena was on its feet. 

As he returned to his seat, the walkway became a high-five line. “Everyone wanted to celebrate. It was surreal.” The fanfare continued well after, with texts from elementary teachers, old neighbors, and even his barber. “I think everyone I’ve ever spoken to sent me a text,” he joked. 

In the aftermath of his surreal shot, Jake was quick to snap back to reality. “I had organic chemistry homework due that night,” Jake laughed. “I was 80% done before the game, but in the middle of all this, I was thinking, ‘I gotta finish when I get home.’” 

Now to the inevitable question – what will Jake do with his newfound fortune? “Most of it’s going straight to an index fund. The rest, I’ll spend responsibly—taking my girlfriend out to dinner, maybe a nicer birthday gift than usual.” 

As he reflected on the moment, he summed it up perfectly: “The crazy part is, you never think you’re going to be the one in that situation. It’s something I’ll never forget.”