The One (1) Good Netflix Movie

Hustle. That’s it, that’s the blog. It’s the only good Netflix original movie, Adam Sandler understands basketball, and you can tell he actually gave a shit about this movie. Blog done.

I’m not kidding, that’s all, get outta here.

Okay, fine, you came all this way, I might as well give you a little more.

I grew up loving basketball. My dad had the idea of putting me in it so I could make some friends. It taught me character, social skills, and somewhere along the way, I fell in love with it. I spent every day practicing. I would get up early on vacations to get up shots before the sun was too hot. I would walk through the hallways of school spinning a pencil to improve my hands between classes. I would fall asleep with a basketball next to me because I was practicing my shooting form before I went to bed.

Later down the line, that love would get harder to find. Coaches didn’t like that my shot was ugly, so they’d over-look all the other things I did. I made a few bad plays, so they’d forget about how I treated my teammates like my brothers. There were times where I didn’t love basketball anymore.

Still, all that grind, and all that hurt made it so I was fortunate to play in college. I would eat, sleep, and live for basketball like never before. The same things happened, I made friends, I grew character, but I also started to dig a hole, a hole that said: “You’re not good enough. Your friends, your girlfriend, the people who love you only love you because you’re good at basketball.” So I loved basketball all the more. Sometimes, it was the only thing I loved. 

But those people left, so that love turned to hate. Joy turned to spite, and I wished I had never picked up a ball to begin with.

Then I saw Hustle. I had put it off for a while, because I still didn’t like the game that I once loved. The game that had given me what little it could, and taken it all back just as fast. That’s what this story is. That’s what Hustle reminded me of. 

It reminded me of those cold morning runs, and those hot days in the gym. It reminded me of the pain in my arms after workouts, and how my lungs felt like they’d bust after suicides. But it also reminded me of the laughs I had with my teammates, and how proud I felt seeing my family come to games. 

Hustle evoked a feeling of happiness in me that I hadn’t felt in a long time. It awoke something that lay dormant for so long, I thought I’d never feel it again. I’m not going to rush and throw my Kobe’s on, but you should watch the movie. Maybe there is a feeling in there you’ll find again.