Houston’s locker room guy is always down for free chicken.
Look, we all know why Boban Marjanovich is on the roster, and it’s not to play five minutes per night through 14 games on the year (his totals for 2023-2024). He’s one of the preeminent locker room guys in the NBA, loved by just about ebvery teammate he’s had in each of the six cities he’s made stops in through his nine-year NBA career.
With the Rockets currently holding so many young pieces, the 35-year-old center is a calming and steadying influence and veteran presence needed for the kids to rely on. He’s also one of Tari Eason’s best friends.
The 7’4” center averaged 3.2 points and 2.3 rebounds this past season, but his impact on the Rockets is absolutely not measured in the box score. How much of a locker room guy is he? He’s built a decade-long NBA career while never averaging more than 14 minutes per night.
How much of a fan favorite is he? The biggest moment of his season was when he missed two free throws intentionally to win fans of the opposing team free chicken in the season finale.
This is funny as heck in a game the Rockets were about to win in LA, The fans were cheering when Boban missed his first free-throw, because if the opposition misses two in a row, the fans get free chicken.
So watch what Boban does. I love Boban! pic.twitter.com/O5eY7TFR6K
— Michael Beckman (@michaelbeck) April 15, 2024
So what happens to Boban from here? He is an unrestricted free agent when NBA free agency season starts this summer. Will he be back? As mentioned, he’s been invaluable in Houston’s locker room. But with the roster already pretty tight and another lottery pick headed to town from the Brooklyn Nets, the Rockets are going to need some more roster space, making Boban’s spot a little tenuous.
I’d love to see him come back, but I also want Houston to take the next step this following season, so I’m not quite sure what the answer is there. How about you tell us?