Warning: SPOILERS for Hustle!
Adam Sandler's character has a prominent injury throughout Hustle, leaving viewers to wonder what happened to his hand while watching the movie. Sandler is very much at the forefront of Netflix's 2022 sports movie. The famous comedian stars as Stanley Sugerman, a top scout for the Philadelphia 76ers when the story begins. Hustle follows Stanley's journey of discovering a potentially generational prospect in Bo Cruz (Juancho Hernangómez). After the 76ers' new owner rejects his scouting report, he works personally with Bo to train him for the upcoming NBA draft.
Throughout Hustle's story, the movie provides plenty of insight into Stanley Sugerman's life. He's spent the better part of a decade traveling the world and scouting international prospects with the hope of one day becoming an NBA coach. This means spending a lot of time away from his wife and daughter, but Stanley's love of basketball helps make that a bit easier for him to handle. However, Hustle takes its time unraveling the biggest mystery about him, as Adam Sandler's character has an unexplained hand injury that is prominently displayed.
For most of its runtime, it seems that the movie is not even going to reveal what happened to Adam Sandler's Hustle character. Stanley is not too interested in exploring this part of his past when Bo Cruz originally asks about it. Hustle eventually provides a better idea of the injury's history. Adam Sandler's apparent hand injury in Hustle dates back to college when Stanley was involved in a car accident. One night when he and his best friend, Leon Rich, were driving home from a party, Stanley took his eyes off the road to look at the radio. He had been drinking and lost his focus. When he looked up, the car was about to hit a telephone pole. The hand injury is the result of Stanley sticking his arm in front of Leon to keep him from flying through the windshield. He was successful in saving Leon's life, but it cost him mobility with his hand and much more.
How Stanley's Hand Injury Affected His Basketball Career In Hustle
The car crash in Hustle changed the career of Adam Sandler's latest movie character. He says that his injury and the minor ones sustained by Leon cost their college team a shot at the NCAA Championship. His hand was not even the biggest obstacle Stanley had to overcome, as driving while intoxicated and the car crash resulted in him going to jail for six months. The combination of the injury and his criminal record meant he could no longer play basketball collegiately. Meanwhile, Stanley's self-admitted limited skills meant he had no real shot of playing professionally.
Without his ability to play basketball, the future of Stanley's career shifted. He became more interested in wanting to coach, but he had to start somewhere first. That meant becoming a scout prior to the events of Hustle and eventually landing a job with the Philadelphia 76ers (some of whom have cameos). Stanley presents rising prospects with a reminder of just how fast their dreams can change because of just one decision, but he also clearly developed a strong ability to identify which plays will and will not succeed in the NBA.