Warning: SPOILERS for Hustle's ending.
Netflix's 2022 Adam Sandler movie tells an inspirational underdog sports story, and the Hustle ending wraps up the main narrative while leaving a few questions unanswered. Directed by Jeremiah Zagar, Hustle is the latest collaboration between Adam Sandler and Netflix. After primarily making ridiculous comedies that do not receive positive reviews, Sandler used his cache with the streaming service to make a true passion project that is another more dramatic role for him after Uncut Gems.
Hustle stars Sandler as Stanley Sugerman, a scout for the Philadelphia 76ers who discovers an unknown talent in Bo Cruz (Juancho Hernangómez) while on assignment in Spain. Even though the new 76ers owner does not have confidence in Stanley's assessment of Bo's talents, Sandler's character takes the risk of bringing him stateside in preparation for the NBA Draft. Stanley and Bo form a strong bond over this time, as they both push each other to be better and achieve their dreams of taking the next step. This forces Stanley to quit the 76ers and train Bo full-time before the draft, teaching him how to have better concentration, hone various skills, and control his anger.
The Hustle story follows a classic sports movie formula. Bo Cruz and Stanley Sugerman's quest is nearly derailed after a poor performance at a game, only for Bo's stock to rise thanks to an inventive viral challenge. With the international prospect also improving his game and condition through a great training montage, the 2022 Netlfix movie builds to another failure on the big stage at the NBA Combine. However, it turns out this is not the last chance for Bo Cruz to impress NBA coaches, general managers, and owners. After one final game against established NBA stars where Bo proved he could play with the best players in the world, the Hustle movie ending gives both him and Stanley a career boost.
Bo Cruz Is Drafted By The Boston Celtics (But How?)
One of the big revelations in the Hustle movie ending is that Bo Cruz was drafted after his impressive final performance and went to the Boston Celtics. This is set up as then Boston Celtics head coach and current head of basketball operations Brad Stevens attends the scrimmage and likes what he sees. Bo Cruz is shown participating in a shootaround with the rest of his teammates. The immediate takeaway is that Bo achieved his NBA dreams and will play for Larry Bird's old Celtics team. However, the way Hustle ends leaves some questions about the logistics for the Celtics drafting him. This is due to the movie positioning Bo Cruz as one of the best prospects in the draft and the real-life Celtics most recently not having a high first-round pick.
It is quite difficult to pinpoint exactly how the Boston Celtics draft Bo Cruz. While Hustle features plenty of real NBA players, it is set in a fictional reality - one where Juancho Hernangómez and others are not actual players. The movie's ending does take place in some version of the 2021-2022 NBA season, though, as the Celtics have Ime Udoka as their head coach and Al Horford is once again part of the team. This makes the Boston Celtics drafting Bo Cruz all the odder, as the real-life Celtics traded their 2021 first-round pick (number 16 overall) to acquire Al Horford. It would seem Brad Stevens and the Celtics pulled off a wild trade to obtain an early first-round draft pick. Since neither Jaylen Brown nor Marcus Smart are seen in Hustle's ending, it is possible one or both of them were traded in this reality to pair Bo Cruz with Jayson Tatum.
Stanley Sugerman Becomes A Philadelphia 76ers Assistant Coach
Just as Bo Cruz achieves his dream of playing in the NBA, Hustle's ending ends also gives Stanley Sugerman his big break. His days of scouting are officially over as he is promoted to an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers under Doc Rivers. This comes after Kat Merrick (SNL's Heidi Garnder) takes control of the organization away from her brother Vince (Ben Foster), who Stanley previously got angry with and insulted as he quit. It marks the end of a decade-long journey for Stanley to become a coach in the NBA. Hustle's ending does not give him an official designation for what responsibilities he has as an assistant coach, but working with young players after helping Bo Cruz's game improve would make sense.
The Meaning of Bo Cruz's Tree Tattoo Explained
When Bo Cruz and Stanley Sugerman reunite on the Philadelphia 76ers' home court prior to tipoff against the Boston Celtics, Bo sports a brand new tattoo on his left arm that is quite significant. Bo's tattoo is of a tree and the phrase "Never back down" is written above it. There are three significant points to this tattoo design that each hold a special meaning for Bo and his journey. The tree represents the strength that he has and his role in supporting his family. It is a reference to Bo's mother calling him her roble, which means strong oak tree, earlier in the film. As the tree signifies his family, the phrase "Never back down" becomes important to Bo throughout the training process. Stanley tells him this phrase repeatedly as a means to teach him resilience and to always keep fighting even when the odds are against him.
The placement of Bo Cruz's tree tattoo is arguably the most meaningful piece. Earlier on in Hustle, Stanley's daughter asks Bo about his various tattoos, which cover the entirety of his right arm and most of his chest and all in some way represent Bo's mom and daughter. However, his left arm is completely bare, and he remarks that those non-existent tattoos are for his father because he abandoned the family. The decision to then reveal Bo's tree tattoo on his left arm as Hustle ends serves as a final reminder of the father-son relationship Stanley and Bo developed.
What Happened To Stanley's Hand? Full Injury History
What happened to Stanley's hand is a mystery that lingers throughout most of Hustle, as the injury is part of Adam Sandler's character from the beginning. He initially only offers Bo a small tease that it was part of a freak car accident, but the movie eventually reveals the full picture. Back when Stanley was in college, he and Leon Rich were driving somewhere together and Stanley was behind the wheel. He looked down at the radio at one point and when he looked up they were heading straight for a telephone pole. Stanley stuck his hand out in front of Leon to help protect him, but that also meant the crash permanently damaged his left hand. Not only did the damage mean the end of Stanley's basketball career as a player, but he also wound up in jail for six months because of the accident.
Where Did Kermit Wilks Get Drafted?
Throughout Bo Cruz's journey in Hustle, he repeatedly encounters fellow draft prospect Kermit Wilks, played by real NBA star Anthony Edwards. He's viewed as one of the best players in the draft class and believes he should be the first overall pick. Kermit Wilks' workouts and on-court performance speak for themselves over the course of Hustle, which means he should have been drafted very high in this world as long as Bo getting the better of him in the final scrimmage did not hurt his stock too much. It would make sense for Kermit Wilks' career to mirror Anthony Edwards' but that does not mean he would be part of the Minnesota Timberwolves necessarily. The Timberwolves lost their 2021 NBA Draft pick in real life because it did not land in the top three. If they are out of the running, then it is possible Kermit Wilks was drafted by the Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, or Cleveland Cavaliers. The tricky part of this, of course, is that the Minnesota Timberwolves would not have Anthony Edwards in Hustle's universe, so there is no telling what their fortune would look like if they took LaMelo Ball or James Wiseman with the first pick in the prior draft.
Was The Philadelphia 76ers' Draft Choice Hass A Bust?
There is also no clear resolution on what happened to Hass (Moe Wagner), the international prospect the Philadelphia 76ers draft ahead of the 2020-2021 NBA season despite Stanley's reservations about his skills. Hustle does not show much of Hass' NBA career, resorting to mostly showing him struggling during practice as a rookie. It seems that he could very well have been a massive bust for the Philadelphia 76ers, though. Hass does not seem to be part of the 76ers' team at the start of the next season, with Kat even referencing how poorly Vince ran things before. He was the one who pushed for Hass, so he could be off the team a year later.
Will There Be A Hustle 2?
Based on everything that happens in Hustle's ending, there is not a direct tease for a sequel. It seems that Hustle 2 will not happen or at least is not already in the planning stage. Stanley Sugerman and Bo Cruz have achieved their dreams and are happy. While a sequel could follow more of their individual stories in the NBA, it would be tougher to pull off logistically now that they are part of two different teams.