'Bo Cruz' Juancho Hernangomez frustrated with playing time: "You never know when the opportunity comes"

Juancho Hernangomez, who played Bo Cruz in the acclaimed basketball film "Hustle," is frustrated with his playing time. Hernangomez signed a one-year contract with the Toronto Raptors in the offseason. He's also coming off a very good performance at the 2022 EuroBasket, helping Spain win the tournament.

In an interview with Yahoo! Sports, Hernangomez discussed his playing time with the Raptors this season. He's averaging 3.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists. He has only appeared in 10 out of a possible 17 games for Toronto, averaging just 14.5 minutes per game.

"It is frustrating but every team got 18 players," Hernangomez said. "The game, actually, it plays for with 9, 10 players, so it's a lot of players. You got to stay ready. You got to keep working on the game. You never know when the opportunity comes."

Juancho Hernangomez added that he's used to playing sporadically in the NBA. He has been in the league since 2016 and has played for several teams already. He was drafted by the Denver Nuggets but also suited up for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs and Utah Jazz.

"It's not the first time I've been in this situation," Hernangomez said. "I mean, NBA, every year it's a lot of players getting out; it's a lot of players coming in. So, just the players who keep working hard, keep believing in them, and keep being ready when the chance coming are the players who staying. So it's a hard business."

Hernangomez has career averages of 5.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 0.7 assists. He has had a more productive international career for Spain. He averaged 12.8 points and 5.0 rebounds at the 2022 EuroBasket, which Spain won. His brother, Willy Hernangomez, took home the MVP award.

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How did Juancho Hernangomez get the part for 'Hustle'?

LeBron James, Adam Sandler and Juancho Hernangomez (Photo: Sportico)

Juancho Hernangomez starred as Bo Cruz in the Netflix film "Hustle" that premiered earlier this year. LeBron James was one of the producers, while Adam Sandler played the main character.

However, how did Hernangomez get the part? It was his first acting role, and he might be focused on his NBA career at the moment. In an interview with Basket News, Hernangomez said that he was bored during the COVID-19 pandemic and decided to send an audition tape.

After three months of the casting process, he landed the role of Bo Cruz, and the rest is history.

"I have never expected to be in a movie," Hernangomez said. "I never dreamt be an actor. When the pandemic hit, I was at my brother's place in Charlotte, when he was still playing there. With our sister, were so bored. I guess everybody of us felt the same: being at home, doing nothing."