Podcast Summary:

Pablo Torre Finds Out: "Fowl Shots: The Untold Story of Brickin' for Chicken" (PTFO Vault)
Release Date: November 27, 2025
Host: Pablo Torre (The Athletic)
Correspondent: Amin Elhassan
Key Guests: Lou Stredler (Monumental Sports), Thanasis Antetokounmpo

Episode Overview

This episode is a deeply reported, investigative—and often hilarious—“talkumentary” into the origins, impact, and conspiratorial mythology behind “Bricken for Chicken”, the NBA arena promotion where missed opposing-team free throws can mean free chicken for the entire crowd. Through spirited conversations, hard-to-get interviews, and some remarkable statistical analysis, Pablo Torre and Amin Elhassan probe the unexpected ways this stunt collides with fan psychology, player behavior, and possibly even NBA outcomes, with special scrutiny on two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo—the alleged "Robin Hood of free chicken."

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The “Bricken for Chicken” Phenomenon

[03:39]

• Many NBA arenas offer free chicken to fans if an opposing player misses two consecutive free throws, amping up crowd participation late in games.
• Pablo and Amin break down how this became a beloved—and sometimes game-shaping—promotion in arenas, though many home viewers aren’t familiar with it.
• Memorable Moment: Amin recalls a pivotal Sixers-Heat game, where a crowd eruption after missed free throws (and the ensuing chicken reward) seemed to tilt momentum and possibly even outcomes:
  • “That promo, Pablo, saved them.” (Amin, [05:49])

2. The Origins: Wizards + Chick-fil-A Collab

[10:42-12:47]

• Interview with Lou Stredler, the Wizards exec who engineered the first NBA chicken giveaway with Chick-fil-A franchisee John Natoli.
• The goal: A “recession-proof” promotion that excites fans despite game score, while always incentivizing positive rooting.
• Key insight into structuring the promo so it wouldn’t result in booing their own players, but rather targeting the visiting team:
  • "Let's concentrate on the visiting team doing something that'll generate excitement for ours." (Lou Stredler, [12:19])

3. Spread Across the League

[15:28]

• “TeamBO” (Team Business Operations) disseminated successful promo ideas across NBA franchises. Now, half the league has a version of the chicken free throw giveaway.
• Stories surface of players gaining reputations as “Chick-fil-A” guys—some even embracing “feeding the city” by missing free throws (e.g., Kobe Jones, Tristan Thompson).

4. Players in on the Act?

[17:05-19:20]

• Debate: Are NBA players intentionally missing free throws, "Robin Hood" style, to secure the crowd's chicken? Actual admissions from Spencer Dinwiddie (via tweet) and Boban Marjanović (caught on camera signaling he'd miss), plus skeptical banter about how much is real or joking.
  • “He is calling his shot like Babe Ruth pointing to the outfield. Right?” (Amin, [19:45])

5. Focus on Giannis Antetokounmpo

[20:35]

• Amin suggests the "true story" is about a superstar: Giannis Antetokounmpo, well-documented lover of chicken.
• Numerous clips and anecdotes illustrate Giannis’s affection for fried chicken:
  • “Can I have a 50 piece? Not 51... 50 exactly... chicken minis.” (Giannis, via video clip, [21:18])
• Pablo and Amin set out to see whether Giannis's love for chicken translates into more missed, chicken-eligible free throws on the road.

6. Statistical Deep-Dive: The “Chicken Conversion Rate” (CCR)

[27:20-31:11]

• Amin introduces custom metrics:
  • Chicken Eligible (CE) Free Throws: Second consecutive free throws after the first is missed (i.e., the shot that can “activate” the chicken promo).
  • CCR (Chicken Conversion Rate): % of times a player misses that second (chicken-eligible) free throw.
• Giannis’s CCR: 80% over the last two seasons (8 out of 10), while his overall fourth-quarter free throw % is 64%. For non-chicken promos, he doesn’t have this drop.
  • "The difference...is the equivalent of Steph Curry shooting a free throw versus Shaquille O'Neal." (Amin, [30:31])
• Pablo flags the small sample size, but Amin finds it remarkable.

7. On-the-Ground Investigations & Player Reluctance

[32:29-36:10]

• Amin travels to Phoenix to question Giannis directly; Giannis evades interviews, as do his teammates and even beat writers.
• Lou Stredler and Marcin Gortat, once happy faces of the promo, now demur on the record.
  • “That's not the response of someone saying, hey man, I don't feel like talking about this.” (Amin, on Gortat’s emoji-laden refusal, [36:51])

8. The “Fowl Shots” in Action

[38:00]

• Amin and Pablo describe a live scene in Phoenix:
  • Giannis gets fouled in a close game, misses the first free throw; the arena buzzes with chicken anticipation; he misses the second, crowd erupts, and the Chick-fil-A cow mascot celebrates.
  • "You hear that, Pablo? They're not counting like they usually do. They're not booing. They are going nuts." (Amin, [38:44])

9. Motives: Accident or Strategic Chicken Giving?

[39:43-40:57]

• Pablo: Is Giannis giving away chicken to win over opposing fans, boost All-Star votes, or is it simply a byproduct of being a poor free throw shooter?
  • "You're saying that Giannis Antetokounmpo has been using chicken the way Elon Musk...has been using money to win elections?" (Pablo, [40:20])
  • "It's a quid pro chicken." (Pablo, [40:31])

10. The Truth About the Antetokounmpo Brothers

[42:59-49:34]

• Interview with Thanasis Antetokounmpo:
  • Thanasis explains he would never intentionally miss free throws, even at the cost of giving the crowd food:
    • “A part of me would have said, make both and I'll buy you guys dinner. I'm not missing a free throws, man." (Thanasis, [45:32])
  • When told of Giannis’s leading CCR:
    • "He’s a philanthropist. That’s good. Who doesn’t love a free chicken?" (Thanasis, [46:54])
  • Pablo and Thanasis joke that perhaps Giannis is just giving the people what they want—and that’s how you build a legend.

11. The Joy of Chicken, The Joy of Story

[49:37-50:35]

• Amin is summoned back to the studio—to enjoy chicken together with Pablo.
  • “Thank you for not bricking this assignment. And as your reward, we got chicken.” (Pablo, [50:08])
• Closing laughs about their shared affection for free chicken.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Amin Elhassan [03:00]:
  "Follow the chicken and you wind up in some weird places."
• Lou Stredler [12:19]:
  "Let's concentrate on the visiting team doing something that'll generate excitement for ours."
• Amin Elhassan [30:31]:
  "That delta is the equivalent of Steph Curry shooting a free throw versus Shaquille O'Neal."
• Spencer Dinwiddie, via tweet [18:09]:
  "Missed the second one on purpose. Wanted everybody to eat like the squad."
• Thanasis Antetokounmpo [46:54]:
  "He’s a philanthropist. That’s good. Who doesn’t love a free chicken?"
• Pablo Torre [40:31]:
  "It's a quid pro chicken."

Important Segment Timestamps

• [03:39]: Amin explains the "Bricken for Chicken" concept
• [10:42]: Interview with Lou Stredler, creation of the promo
• [15:28]: Promo spreads league-wide, “Chick Fil A” player nicknames
• [17:05-19:20]: Evidence of intentional missed free throws (Dinwiddie, Boban)
• [20:35]: Focus shifts to Giannis and his documented chicken obsession
• [27:20-31:11]: Creation and explanation of "chicken eligible" stats and Giannis's remarkable CCR
• [32:29]: Amin investigates Giannis in Phoenix; widespread reluctance to speak
• [38:00-39:06]: Live account of Giannis's “fowl shot” moment in Phoenix
• [42:59-49:34]: Thanasis Antetokounmpo interview and reveal
• [50:08]: Amin rewarded with (literal) chicken

Tone and Style

The episode is characteristically witty, irreverent, and sharply journalistic—a blend of tongue-in-cheek analysis, pop culture references, and true investigative rigor. Pablo and Amin banter but also dig deeply into metrics and incentives, all while maintaining warmth and a sense of wonder at basketball's strange intersections with commerce, fandom, and free food.

Takeaways for Non-Listeners

• The Bricken for Chicken promo has transformed arenas, fusing fan engagement, player psychology, and capitalism in unpredictable ways.
• There’s compelling (if playful) evidence that some NBA players might “miss on purpose” for crowd rewards, and nobody distributes chicken quite like Giannis—though the legend is funnier for being mostly anecdotal.
• The episode is as much about why these silly things matter to people as about uncovering conspiracy, and reveals how a recurring sideshow tells us something rich about fandom, reputation, and the contagious joy of chicken.

(For full context and flavor, listen on Pablo Torre Finds Out, The Athletic Podcast Network.)