Boban Marjanovic Purposely Misses Free Throws for Free Chicken
Boban Marjanovic Engages: Playful Antics Raise Integrity Issues
Boban Marjanovic gave Los Angeles Clippers fans reason to cheer Sunday afternoon.
Late in the fourth quarter of the Houston Rockets’ season finale, Marjanovic missed two free throws. As part of the Clippers’ “Fowl Shot Promotion,” fans are treated to free Chick-fil-A if an opposing player misses back-to-back free throws in the fourth quarter, just as Marjanovic did.
After his first miss, Marjanovic smiled and pointed to himself while seemingly saying, “I got you,” to the crowd, suggesting he planned to fulfill the fans’ wishes by missing the second free throw on purpose.
True to his word, the 7-foot-4 Marjanovic — who had played two seasons with the Clippers — proceeded to clang his second attempt off the rim, drawing hearty cheers from the home crowd.
Fortunately for the Rockets, who had already been eliminated from Western Conference playoff contention, Marjanovic’s playful misses did not significantly impact the game’s outcome. The Rockets were leading 105-97 at the time he was fouled and wound up winning 116-105, covering the spread as 4.5-point underdogs.
Nevertheless, his antics raised some eyebrows, especially from an integrity standpoint. As sports betting becomes more mainstream and enters the consciousness of fans, such actions — fairly or not — will draw more scrutiny. Here’s why Boban Marjanovic engaging Clippers fans matters.
‘Under’ the Microscope
Boban Marjanovic engaging Clippers fans surely won over a lot of people. But not everyone was cheering.
Why? The teams wound up combining for 221 total points, just shy of the projected closing total of 222.5.
Had Marjanovic hit both three throws, Over bettors would have cashed in. Instead, they went home empty-handed.
For all intents and purposes. Marjanovic — who is averaging 3.2 points and 2.3 rebounds in 5.1 minutes per game, according to NBA stats — likely had no idea what the betting total was. More than likely, the free-spirited NBA vet was just trying to appease fans late in a relatively meaningless game. And that he did.
But again, as sports betting gains more attention, these aspects become harder and harder to ignore. Everything is under the microscope, especially a player willingly throwing away more points.
Investigation Continues Surrounding Porter
The NBA is already dealing with a potential crisis on the betting front. Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter is under investigation for irregular betting activity following suspicions that he bet on sports.
As Action Network reported Tuesday, Porter owned and operated a FanDuel VIP in Colorado that wagered millions of dollars on over 1,000 bets between 2021 and 2023. Notably, FanDuel did not accept any bets on the NBA or college basketball from Porter, whose brother, Michael, plays for the Denver Nuggets.
It is not against NBA policy for players to bet on other sports. That’s not to suggest, however, that Jontay Porter is in the clear in of the league’s investigation.
Commissioner Adam Silver said last week that Porter is accused of a “cardinal sin” and if found guilty, he could be banned from the NBA.
Regardless of what happens, the NBA will surely continue to keep a close eye on any irregularities in the betting market.
Stay tuned for more updates on Boban Marjanovic engaging Clippers fans’ wishes for free chicken.
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