The first teaser trailer for Adam Sandler’s upcoming film Hustle dropped Friday, and it is clear that the Netflix project is a love letter to the actor’s favorite sport, basketball.
A more serious picture than the typical Sandler streaming fare, Hustle is the story about a former pro basketball scout (Sandler) who tries to remake his career after he discovers a player with massive potential (Juancho Hernangómez) overseas, whom he mentors to play in the NBA.
The minute-long preview mostly revolves around the physical and mental lengths that Hernangómez’s character, Bo Cruz, will have to go to in order to become a superstar in America. Sandler’s character, Stanley Beren, makes it clear that if his protege does not truly love the game, there is no point in what they will try to accomplish together.
“[Hernangómez] acts better than me in every scene,” Sandler said last August on The Dan Patrick Show. “It’s just like, goddamn it. This guy is falling, crying in the middle of a scene, doing the right thing. Every joke he says, I’m like, ‘He said it smoother than I would have.’”
Sandler, of course, is a massive sports fan, specifically basketball. He is known to play pickup games regularly and can often be seen courtside at Lakers games.
Hustle also stars Queen Latifah, Robert Duvall and Ben Foster and features several cameos from NBA players and coaches.
Jeremiah Zagar directed a screenplay by Taylor Materne and Will Fetters. Happy Madison, Roth/Kirschenbaum Films, and LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s SpringHill Company produced the film.
Hustle premieres on Netflix on June 10.
Watch the teaser trailer below.
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