Why did Boban Marjanovic deliberately miss his free throw in the last moments of the game against the Clippers?

During the final game of the regular season between the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers, Boban Marjanovic, the Rockets center, intentionally missed two consecutive free throws in the fourth quarter. This was done to trigger the Clippers’ in-game promotion, which rewards every fan in attendance with a free Chick-fil-A sandwich.

The act delighted the Clippers crowd and Boban, who was a fan favorite during his two-season stint (2017-2019) with the Los Angeles team. Over his career, he averaged 6.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 0.5 assists in 56 games for the Clippers organization.

Boban Marjanovic’s “Chaplin” moment

As the clock ticked towards the end of the game, the Rockets were in the lead with a score of 102-92. With just under 6 minutes left, Marjanovic was fouled on a shot attempt and headed to the free-throw line. Despite being known as an 80% career shooter from the charity stripe, the big man’s first attempt clanged hard off the rim, immediately raising eyebrows among the spectators.

As Marjanovic prepared for his second free throw, the Rockets broadcast crew seemed to realize what he was doing and exclaimed excitedly, “He’s a man of the people! Giving away free Chick-fil-A sandwiches!” True to their word, Marjanovic missed his second free throw comically wide, sending the Crypto.com Arena crowd into a frenzy. They realized they had just been granted free food courtesy of the opposition’s center.

“That’s the craziest thing I’ve seen all season!” one of the Rockets announcers laughed. “Boban Marjanovic just intentionally missed two free throws to get every fan in the building a free Chick-fil-A sandwich!” The crowd erupted with cheers and applause, grateful for the unexpected treat. It was undoubtedly a memorable moment for everyone present at the game.

A few moments later, he lost the jump ball to 6′0 Xavier Moon, and his Houston Rockets teammates couldn’t believe it.

Man of the people

In his ninth NBA season, the 33-year-old Serbian has firmly established himself as one of the most beloved personalities in the league off the court. Although the game had no significance for playoff seeding, Marjanovic made sure to have some fun and give back to the fans in an unconventional way. He raised his arms triumphantly and sported a big smile while the crowd roared in delight, enjoying the raucous cheers despite playing for the visiting team.

The three-time NBA champion signed a one-year deal with the Rockets last offseason and will become a free agent again this summer. After scoring 13 points in just 12 minutes in Sunday’s season finale, he’s sure to have no shortage of teams interested in adding his imposing 7-foot-4 stature and fun-loving personality to their roster.