Part of the appeal of Adam Sandler is that, despite being one of the most-recognized comedic actors of his generation (his movies have grossed over $2 billion at the box office), the 54-year-old remains, in many ways, a regular guy. The lovable everyman of SNL and Happy Gilmore fame wears baggy gym shorts, goes to IHOP and, from time to time, will even test his skills at the local basketball court.
Over the weekend, Sandler was spotted playing pickup hoops in Long Island, taking to the hardwood with some unusual attire. Robert Whitehorn (Instagram handle robobball3) captured footage of a bearded, polo-shirt-donning Sandler bringing up the rock.
The Water Boy star admittedly didn’t appear to be expending much energy on defense (he was a similar non-factor on the offensive glass), but Sandler displayed solid handle and court vision, setting screens and finding his teammates wide-open looks, even if none could take advantage (tough scene for the guy who denied Sandler an assist by bricking his jumper from the three-point arc).
An avid pickup player, Sandler’s hoops infatuation is well-documented. Grown Ups features a climactic basketball game while the 2012 Eastern Conference semifinals between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers factors prominently in the plot of Uncut Gems. Hall-of-Fame big man Shaquille O’Neal has also appeared in a number of Sandler’s films.
Former NBA point guard Baron Davis, who cameoed in That’s My Boy, took to Twitter to confirm that, in spite of his relative lack of height, the 5’10” Sandler can indeed ball.
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