"And it was great to do something like that for him... He was really important to us" - Juancho Hernangomez reveals he requested "Hustle" filmmakers to let him wear Kobe Bryant sneakers in the movie

Utah Jazz forward Juancho Hernangomez honored the late Kobe Bryant in his debut film, "Hustle." If you're a fan of the NBA or basketball in general, then you're probably aware of the newly released Netflix movie starring Adam Sandler and Hernangomez. Released on June 8, the film has garnered praise from critics and audiences.

Hernangomez did an excellent job in portraying his character, Bo Cruz. The Spanish forward surprised everyone because of how well he acted in the movie. And being a fan of the legendary Bryant, he didn't miss the chance to honor the Black Mamba. During filming, Hernangomez requested the use of Kobe's signature Nike shoes.

"That's a huge part of the movie – to remember him," Hernangomez said as he made his special request.

If you've been a fan of Hernangomez before, you probably know that he's always shown his love and admiration for Bryant. Browsing his Twitter profile, you could see him liking and retweeting anything related to Kobe. Even his pinned tweet is a video of Kobe talking about the value of time.

Hernangomez posted this video days after the tragic death of the Lakers legend and his daughter in January 2020:

Hernangomez even posted on Twitter a picture of him meeting Kobe and getting an autographed pair of Kobe sneakers. The pictures show how Bryant inspired a whole generation of athletes all over the globe, and that includes Hernangomez. His impact off the court was as inspiring as his on-court game.

---

Adam Sandler's love for basketball

Adam Sandler's Netflix movie, "Hustle" has gained positive feedback.

The film is Sandler's love letter to basketball, and everyone who is a fan of him knows how much he loves the sport. Fans can often see Sandler playing pickup games at random spots. Sandler is known as a die-hard fan of the LA Lakers and can frequently be seen watching their home games courtside.

During an episode of "The Big Podcast" with Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal, Sandler expressed his love for the game. Sandler and O'Neal reminisced about their friendly banter during the golden days of the Lakers dynasty. His game even got complimented by the Lakers legend, proving to everyone that he can ball.

"You know I love Shaq," said Sandler when asked about his basketball Mount Rushmore. "Dr. J (Julius Erving) meant a lot to me. (Allen) Iverson's one cool bastard. ... We gotta get Kobe (Bryant), the Kobe-Shaq team going again."

Sandler, who is loved around the league, plays Stanley Sugerman in the film. Sugerman is a Philadelphia 76ers scout who has been wanting to get into the coaching world. While exploring talents all over the globe, he stumbles upon an unknown talent, Bo Cruz (Juancho Hernangomez). From there, the two characters work together to achieve their dreams.

"Hustle" features a ton of NBA personalities such as Julius Erving, Kenny Smith and Anthony Edwards.