Hustle

With an all-star roster of cameos featuring basketball luminaries past and present, Hustle doesn’t lack for credibility on the court.

Yet this lighthearted drama about a beleaguered NBA scout and his unlikely protégé has got game in other ways, too, thanks to committed performances and some modest insight into the continued proliferation of the sport on the international stage.

The story follows Stanley (Adam Sandler), a longtime international scout for the Philadelphia 76ers whose passion and dedication leaves him traveling the world in search of the next superstar rather than at home with his wife (Queen Latifah) and teenage daughter (Jordan Hull).

Due for a promotion to assistant coach, Stanley’s dreams are put on hold when the team owner (Robert Duvall) dies and his antagonistic son (Ben Foster) takes over. Stanley winds up back in Spain, where he discovers a prodigy named Bo Cruz (Juancho Hernangomez) dominating a streetball game.

After a rocky start, their futures become linked, with Stanley needing to convince NBA teams of Bo’s draft potential to save his job. For the quick-tempered Bo, earning a pro contract could be life-changing for his struggling family.

Basketball junkies might not agree with the strategy of director Jeremiah Zagar (We the Animals) to incorporate so many closeups on the players’ faces during game action, rather than showcasing the crossover dribbles and highlight moves. But the decision feels refreshing in shorter spurts without sacrificing the authenticity of the ferocious dunks and dazzling 3-pointers.

In his latest sports-related saga, Sandler modulates his usual shtick and generates sympathy for a loyal basketball lifer whose nomadic job causes him to miss family time in search of a promotion that may never come. Meanwhile, Utah Jazz forward Hernangomez conveys a genuine screen presence with an understated portrayal. Latifah makes the most of an underwritten role.

The screenplay oversimplifies the cutthroat front-office dynamics and win-at-all-costs mentality in the NBA, while trying to squeeze its buddy comedy elements into a familiar underdog framework.

However, the obligatory training montages are staged with verve, perhaps offering a few eye-opening lessons for youngsters harboring dreams of pro stardom.

Those same aficionados can get their fix during the film’s vivid pickup games and prospect showcases. For those weary from the contrivances and product placement, Hustle rebounds nicely as a crowd-pleasing redemption story in the second half.

Rated R, 117 minutes.