Warning: Spoilers for Hustle ahead.
Bo Cruz's new tree tattoo in Hustle's ending is even deeper than viewers might initially realize. Starring Adam Sandler as NBA scout Stanley Sugerman, his life changes when he puts all of his effort behind believing in the talent of an undiscovered international prospect. Bo Cruz (Juancho Hernangómez) trains with Stanley for months to prepare for the NBA Draft and a chance to leave a tough life filled with pain and legal troubles behind.
Throughout Hustle, the movie makes it perfectly clear what type of person Bo is and what he values. His relationships with his mom and daughter are the most important to him, which is evident thanks to his multiple tattoos. Bo Cruz has most of his chest and right arm covered with tattoos that have special connections to the two most important women in his life. This does not change even after the Boston Celtics draft Bo Cruz in Hustle's ending, which includes the revelation of his latest piece of body art.
It is during Bo and Stanley's reunion before the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics that Hustle uncovers the new tree tattoo. There are three key aspects to the tattoo's importance: the tree, the words, and the placement. The tree is a callback to Bo's mother calling him her "roble" - which means strong oak tree - earlier in the film. This is not a reference to Bo's great physical strength but rather his unwavering support and leadership of the family. Bo Cruz's tree tattoo has "Never back down" written above it, which was something Stanley regularly told Bo to motivate him during training. Now he has a permanent reminder to fight and help his family.
The placement of Bo Cruz's tree tattoo in Hustle's movie ending ties the design elements of the artwork together in a truly meaningful way. This is the only tattoo that Bo has on his left arm. Earlier in the film, Stanley's daughter asked if he had any tattoos for his father, but he revealed his left arm was bare for him. Hustle previously indicated that Bo Cruz's father left the family, which Bo clearly resented, and left him without a real father figure. Bo's Cruz's tree tattoo placement on his left arm represents how he views Stanley's role in his life.
If it was not clear enough based on their interactions, Hustle uses Bo Cruz's tattoo to hammer home that Stanley and Bo are much more than a scout and prospect, coach and player, or mentor and mentee. Bo Cruz clearly thinks of Stanley Sugerman as the father he never really had. He even uses Stanley's college jersey number, 22, in the NBA. While Adam Sandler's character does not get a similar tattoo to show how close they are, there is no doubt he views Bo as family after Hustle.