In the final minutes of the Houston Rockets’ season, Boban Marjanović heard the Los Angeles Clippers crowd around him cheering after he missed a free throw. The team runs a promotion for Chick-fil-A that gives fans a free chicken sandwich if the visiting team misses two consecutive free throws in the fourth quarter. The former Clipper gave in, missing the second shot on purpose and pointing to the erupting crowd.
“He gave ‘em chicken! He’s a man of the people!” the broadcasters bellowed.
The Clippers have drawn the league’s 10th-best attendance this season, with 19,370 fans on Sunday night, according to ESPN.
While the chain’s classic sandwich starts at $4.85, they sell for $6.85 at some locations in Los Angeles. That means up to $132,684.50 worth of free chicken was on the table.
Whatever amount Marjanović lost for Chick-fil-A, the chicken chain is surely happy. They’ve given away much more chicken for far less viral moments. The clip blew up on social media, garnering more than 100,000 likes on the NBA’s Instagram account alone.
Chick-fil-A and the Clippers did not immediately respond to Front Office Sports inquiries about the promotion. A spokesperson for FanDuel said the sportsbook had “nothing to share” about any sports betting implications.
Marjanović ended the Rockets season on a high note, contributing 13 points in 12 minutes to seal an 11-point win over the Clippers, who will host the Mavericks Sunday in the first round of the NBA playoffs. It could be the final games in Crypto.com Arena for the Clippers before moving to their new home, the Intuit Dome, which is scheduled to open in time for next season. The arena is set to feature a fan section called “The Wall” and twice as many toilets as other NBA stadiums.
