"It wasn't a good shot... I was trying to get the people a Big Mac" - Joakim Noah on his late-game 3-point attempt against the Magic in 2012

“It wasn’t a good shot… I was trying to get the people a Big Mac” – Joakim Noah on his late-game 3-point attempt against the Magic in 2012 originally appeared on Basketball Network.

Though the Chicago Bulls secured a solid win over the Orlando Magic in November 2012, controversy followed. As often back then, Joakim Noah was at the center of it.

Trying to hit 100 points and trigger the “Big Mac” giveaway, Noah’s late-game three-pointer missed badly, leading to a private talk with then-coach Tom Thibodeau. While Thibodeau kept the details private, it was clear Noah wouldn’t repeat the move.

“I regret it a little bit,” he admitted after the game, per ESPN. “It wasn’t a good shot.”

Big Mac 3-pointer

Heading into their fourth game of the 2012-13 season, the Bulls held a 2-1 record. By the final minutes against their next opponent, the Magic, they looked set to add another win to their tally.

With 23 seconds left on the clock, Noah made one of two free throws to extend the lead to 99-93. Teammate Kirk Hinrich had the opportunity to seal the deal for good but missed two shots with 10 seconds remaining. It was all good, though, as with 3.6 seconds left, the score remained the same. The game now could have run its course, but Noah had a different idea, launching a 3-point attempt.

If you didn’t know the United Center’s 100-point Big Mac giveaway wasn’t active, you might have been puzzled why the 6’11” center would even consider that shot. But it was active, and after the win, Noah referenced the promotion as motivation for his attempt.

The Florida native finished with a strong stat line — 20 points, nine rebounds, four assists and five blocks — and said he heard the crowd cheer louder than usual during that stretch. He believed the cheers came from fans craving that classic burger.

“I just got caught up in the moment and I was trying to get the people a Big Mac,” Noah reflected. “They really wanted a Big Mac and I felt like, not only did I take the shot and miss the shot, we didn’t even get the Big Mac. Next time, I won’t take that 3-pointer.”

Respect the game?

While Noah’s 3-point attempt came from good intentions, it wasn’t so clear-cut.

Taking that shot with the Magic clearly beaten blurred NBA sportsmanship — late-game moments, when the outcome is all but decided, traditionally respect the score and let it settle. By launching a 3-pointer then, the 2014 Defensive Player of the Year arguably broke that unwritten code.

Noah later admitted, “You have to respect the game,” acknowledging he’d lost sight of that while trying to be the Bulls fans’ good Samaritan. However, instead of applauding his effort, the crowd at the United Center showed their displeasure by booing the home team off the court.

Interestingly, this wasn’t the first time the Bulls experienced this dynamic. ESPN recalled how Hinrich was booed despite leading them to victory, and even superstar Derrick Rose expressed regret after missed free throws cost fans a free burger promotion.

Noah joined Hinrich and Rose in that club — no surprise there. Unlike today’s stretch fives, he was a traditional bruiser: a physical presence and hustler in the paint, hardly known for his shooting from downtown.

Before his 3-point Big Mac attempt, having entered the league in 2007, Noah had missed all four of his three-point tries. Ultimately, he finished his NBA career 0-for-17 from beyond the arc.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 16, 2025, where it first appeared.

“It wasn’t a good shot… I was trying to get the people a Big Mac” – Joakim Noah on his late-game 3-point attempt against the Magic in 2012

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