Antonio DePina was not the winner of Netflix's The Circle season 1, but he has made a fascinating life for himself with the platform that the reality show offered him. Since appearing on The Circle, Antonio expanded his career from an athlete to a businessman. And even though Antonio didn't win the show's $100,000 grand prize, he has proven that he knows how to make a rebound.
When it comes to gameplay, Antonio DePina had a solid start during the first few episodes of The Circle. After placing in the top two ranking in the first episode, Antonio appeared to be stiff competition for his Circle contenders. Coming into Netflix's social experiment, 24-year-old Antonio had been a star athlete since high school and had traveled the world playing basketball before making it onto The Circle. Unfortunately, the tide had turned against the basketball player on the show, and he was sent home by Chris Sapphire and Shubham Goel in episode 4 due to his lack of connection with either of the finalists. During his time on The Circle, Antonio also made the mistake of valuing the friendship he fostered with competitor Mercedeze AKA Karyn Blanco, who revealed herself to be a catfish when Antonio visited her after being blocked from The Circle.
Before entering the competition series, Antonio DePina had one of the most accomplished careers among the cast of The Circle season 1. At 6'4", Antonio is a talented athlete who played for a slew of basketball teams before becoming a reality star. Starting his athletic experience playing for his high school in Delaware, to playing for Lincoln University in Pennsylvania from 2015 to 2017, Antonio hustled his way to the 2018 NBA Drafts. Although he didn't make the NBA cut, Antonio kept up his momentum by joining the Portuguese basketball team Electrico FC. Following his loss on The Circle, Antonio transitioned from a basketball player to an entrepreneur. In November 2019, Antonio began working as an independent business owner with the production of his mobile app, Overseas Basketball Connection. After filming the first season of The Circle, Antonio stepped up as the full-time CEO of his mobile basketball app.
Antonio updates his fans from The Circle on a regular basis via his social media. On Instagram, Antonio's following has skyrocketed from his 8,000 followers before appearing on Netflix to his current count of 155,000 followers. Overall, Antonio uses his social media platform to keep his fans up to the date with his personal and professional journeys. In addition to promoting his company Overseas Basketball Connection, Antonio also used his Instagram to announce the news that the former The Circle star has launched a professional basketball league in Cape Verde, Africa. This new basketball league is set to launch on July 3, 2021. As for his personal life, Antonio hasn't shared anything about his romantic life. However, he recently shared a collection of photos with fans to celebrate his mother's birthday.
While Antonio's strategy to impress fellow players with his monumental career as a sports star didn't win him The Circle, it has paid off for him since the season ended. From a prominent basketball player to the CEO of his own sports business, Antonio DePina has made the most of his elevated platform since participating in Netflix's reality competition. Even after losing The Circle, Antonio continues to be an unforgettable player.