NBA fans slam a ‘criminal low’ prize after an Indiana Pacers fan scores a free throw, a 3-pointer AND a halffield shot in a hugely impressive halftime game…only to walk away with just $500!
- The Indiana Pacers invited a fan onto the court for a halftime challenge on Friday night
- The man had to score a free throw, a 3-pointer and a half-field shot to win a prize
- Against all odds, he managed to beat the clock to end the tough game
- But its price tag — $500 — was mind-blowing, and fans slammed the franchise on Twitter
- Click here for all your latest international sports news from
The Indiana Pacers were slammed on social media after they presented a paltry $500 prize to a fan who managed to score a free throw, a 3-pointer and a halffield shot in an impressive halftime show on Friday night.
Halftime games have long been an integral part of NBA culture. Fans are invited from the grandstand and given a chance to win huge prizes like cars and thousands of dollars.
The Pacers’ game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night was no different when a man named Nathaniel was given a chance to show his skills on the court.
Pacers fan Nathaniel pulled off three extremely impressive shots in his halftime challenge
The Pacers tweeted about his $500 prize — and got a lot of stick from fans in the comments
And he did it, nailing a free throw, a three-pointer and a half-field shot within a time limit, sparking wild celebrations on the paint.
While other fans have done far less to win hundreds of thousands of dollars, Nathaniel may have been a little disappointed when he only received $500 and a “prize package” from sponsors Hoosier Lottery and the Pacers.
On social media, some fans were quick to slam the prize givers, with more than one calling the Pacers a “poverty franchise,” while another insisted his family’s amount would hardly buy a round of drinks afterwards.
NBA fans called the award “embarrassing” and a “travesty” compared to other franchises.
One dubbed the Pacers a “poverty franchise” for not giving their fan more money for his win
On court during the game, the Pacers beat the Trail Blazers to seal their fifth straight home win
Elsewhere, one wrote it was “embarrassing,” another called it a “travesty.”
On the court, the Pacers continued their impressive home run and won their fifth straight game.
In the past few weeks, they’ve beaten the Trail Blazers, Raptors, Clippers, Cavaliers and Hawks in Indiana, and most recently lost a game on their home court on December 18 — to the Knicks.
Overall they are seventh in the East this season, 5.5 games behind league leaders Celtics with a 22-18 record.