Vancouver Cancer Survivor Praises Adam Sandler as 'Great Guy' After Basketball Encounter
Hollywood superstar Adam Sandler recently made a surprise appearance at the Robert Lee YMCA in downtown Vancouver, joining local residents for an impromptu game of pickup basketball. Among those on the court was Zed Dhalla, a Vancouver cancer survivor who described the experience as "pretty wild" and praised Sandler as a "super genuine dude" and "incredible human."
An Unexpected Meeting on the Court
Dhalla, who competed on Amazing Race Canada with his father in 2017, found himself sharing the basketball court with one of his favorite actors about a week ago. "Right place right time," Dhalla said of Sandler walking in and joining the game. The actor, known for films like Happy Gilmore and Grown Ups, stayed and played for nearly an hour, demonstrating impressive skills despite being 59 years old.
"He's a good guy. The same when he is playing, he gives it up to other people. He likes to try to find other people," Dhalla commented about Sandler's unselfish playing style. "He has a lot of skills. I don't know exactly how old he is, probably around 50 or so and still had a lot of skill."
A Meaningful Conversation About Cancer Journey
What made the encounter particularly meaningful for Dhalla was Sandler's genuine interest in his personal story. Dhalla, who was wearing a F*CK CANCER ball cap during the game, recently completed chemotherapy after being diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer last year at age 35.
"He asked me a bit about my cancer journey," Dhalla revealed. "I got diagnosed with cancer last year, and just finished chemotherapy about two months ago, and so he asked me questions about that. Asked about my story and my toughest moments."
Dhalla, who runs a biotech firm called Topaz Diagnostics that recently launched a colon cancer screening test, was touched by Sandler's compassionate approach. "He asked me questions. And I thought, what the heck does he want to know about me for? But he did. He's just a normal guy and a really nice one at that."
Sandler's Vancouver Film Project
Adam Sandler is currently in Vancouver filming his new Netflix psychological thriller Timeout, directed by Scott Cooper and co-starring Willem Dafoe. The film, based on the French film L'Emploi du Temps by Laurent Cantet and Robin Campillo, follows Vincent (played by Sandler), who loses his job but can't bring himself to tell his family, leading to increasingly complicated lies.
Production began in Vancouver at the end of March and is scheduled to wrap on May 30. Sandler has been spotted around the city, including recent sightings in Squamish, as he balances his filming schedule with personal time.
A Lasting Positive Impression
For Dhalla, the encounter left a lasting positive impression that extended beyond simply meeting a celebrity. As someone who has watched Happy Gilmore (which was shot in Vancouver in 1995) "probably 17 times," meeting Sandler in person confirmed his admiration for the actor's character.
The spontaneous basketball game at the Robert Lee YMCA provided not just entertainment but also a meaningful human connection between a Hollywood star and a local resident facing significant health challenges. Dhalla's experience highlights how unexpected encounters can provide moments of genuine connection and support, even between individuals from vastly different worlds.
