Hustle fans make Kermit Wilts joke after Juancho Hernangomez is waived by Utah

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Juancho Hernangomez was waived by the Utah Jazz in free agency and Hustle and NBA fans have been making the same joke regarding Kermit Wilts.

Hustle was met by positive reviews from fans and critics alike when it premiered on Netflix last month. The film stars Adam Sandler as a Philadelphia 76ers scout who discovers a raw but talented Spanish player called Bo Cruz.

Sandler’s Stanley Sugerman character then coaches and mentors Cruz as he prepares him for the upcoming NBA draft.

The film features a number of former and current NBA stars including Trae Young, Jordan Clarkson, Khris Middleton, Aaron Gordon, Kyle Lowry, Seth Curry, Luka Doncic, Julius Erving, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Allen Iverson and Dirk Nowitzki.

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Juan Hernangomez is waived by Utah Jazz

NBA player Juancho Hernangomez plays protagonist Bo Cruz in the film. Hernangomez was born in Madrid, Spain, and was selected by the Denver Nuggets 15th overall in the 2016 NBA Draft.

Since then, he has played for the Timberwolves, Celtics and Spurs, and landed with the Utah Jazz in February 2022. However, when free agency arose on 1 July, Juan was waived by the Jazz.

According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, his $7,307,130 salary for next season would have fully guaranteed if he had remained on the roster beyond Thursday. Per Hoops Rumors, the move was expected and gives Utah more room to manuever as it reshapes its roster.

The 26-year-old saw action in 17 games with Utah, including nine starts, and averaged 6.2 PPG and 3.5 RPG in 17.5 MPG.

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NBA fans make same Kermit Wilts joke

Juancho Hernangomez’ Bo Cruz character is the protagonist in Hustle. However, the undeniable star of the film is former No.1 overall pick Anthony Edwards.

The real-life Timberwolves player portrays Kermit Wilts in the Netflix film. Wilts is a player and fierce rival to Bo who constantly talks smack to him during games.

Edwards’ performance was a huge hit on the film’s release, with his Kermit Wilts character becoming a fan favorite due to his no-holds-barred trash talking.

After news broke that Juancho Hernangomez was waived recently, fans all made the same Kermit Wilts joke:

Others, meanwhile, made jokes about the movie in general:

NBA Twitter can be a cruel place sometimes.

Where do you think Juan will end up next? Let us know in the comments below!

Joshua Rogers

Joshua is a senior sports writer with over four years' experience in online writing. He graduated with a BA in Ancient History from The University of Manchester before receiving an MA in Sports Journalism from The University of Central Lancashire. He became a trending writer for a leading social publisher and later spent time covering the 2018 World Cup for The Mirror Online. He then moved to a social marketing agency where he acted as website editor. His specialties on The Focus include F1, tennis, NBA, NFL and combat sports.