Move over Al Michaels and Johnny Most, we have a new Hall of Fame candidate in the announcing booth – all because Boban Marjanović wanted to give fans free chicken.
The Los Angeles Clippers lost 116-105 to the Houston Rockets in the final game of the NBA regular season on Sunday night, but LA fans still had plenty to celebrate. Rockets forward Marjanović, a former Clipper and star of John Wick: Chapter 3, intentionally missed a free-throw late in the game to ensure the home crowd would receive free chicken sandwiches as part of a Chick-fil-A promotion.
The Clippers offer free chicken if a visiting player misses two consecutive free throws in the fourth quarter, a fact Marjanović was keenly aware of after he missed his first attempt. As he approached the line with four minutes to play in an eight-point game, Marjanović pointed to the crowd inside the Crypto.com arena as they yelled for their fast food. “You want chicken?” Marjanović said, according to the broadcast. “I got you.”
The Clippers run a promo where fans get free chicken if an opponent misses two free throws in a row.
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) April 15, 2024
When Boban Marjanovic realized, he missed the second one on purpose.pic.twitter.com/Fk5veT5Nou
Marjanović clanked the second attempt before raising a finger in the air. “He gave them chicken!” Ryan Hollins said on the Rockets broadcast. “He’s a man of the people.”
“Think he did that on purpose?” lead announcer Craig Ackerman asked. “He did! He gave out free chicken!” Hollins replied.
The Rockets had already been eliminated from the NBA playoffs by the time Marjanović stepped to the free-throw line, but they salvaged a .500 record for the season thanks to 21 points from Cam Whitmore.
Despite intentionally bricking a free throw, Marjanović scored 13 points in 12 minutes of the fourth quarter. He is a finalist for this season’s NBA’s sportsmanship award, which is handed out to players who exemplify “the ideals of sportsmanship on the court with ethical behavior, fair play, and integrity.”
