Social media users are praising National Basketball Association (NBA) star Anthony Edwards for his “hilarious” yet “menacing” performance in Adam Sandler and LeBron James’s Hustle.
The Netflix sports drama – which was released earlier this month – follows Sandler as Stanley Sugerman, a basketball scout who helps promising Spanish talent Bo Cruz (played by Edwards’ fellow NBA player Juancho Hernangomez) earn his place in the American basketball league.
Hustle has earned Sandler some of the best reviews of his career to date, with a critics’ score of 89 per cent on review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes.
However, the 55-year-old Hollywood star isn’t the only Hustle actor being praised for their performance. Fans think both Edwards and Hernangomez could have promising acting careers in Hollywood thanks to their debut performances in the Netflix film.
In particular, Edwards’s performance as Cruz’s foul-mouthed “menace” of a rival, top draft prospect Kermit Wilts, is award-worthy, fans have declared.
One person wrote: “Anthony Edwards in Hustle is an absolute menace. Somebody get that man more movie roles. He’s a star.”
Another person tweeted: “Let’s talk about how Anthony Edwards is now the greatest villain in basketball movie history. The man steals every scene he is in.”
“Anthony Edwards’ performance in Hustle makes me now believe that a great basketball romcom is possible,” one fan tweeted.
Like many other social media users, senior NBA writer for ESPN Marc J Spears on Sunday 12 June tweeted that Edwards deserved an award for his performance, writing: “I nominate @theantedwards_ for best supporting actor. #HustleNetflix”
In his reply to Spears, Edwards tweeted back: “I need that jack”
Edwards, nicknamed “Ant-Man”, currently plays for Boston-based NBA team, the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In addition to Edwards and Hernangomez, a total of 23 other NBA stars – including Philadelphia 76ers icon Julius “Dr J” Erving and Los Angeles Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal feature in Hustle.
