Spike Lee used his outfit to pay tribute to Kobe Bryant at the 2020 Oscars.
Lee's suit was purple and gold -- Lakers colors -- and had "24" on it -- Bryant's jersey number -- in honor of the NBA great who died with eight others in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26.
On the red carpet, when Ryan Seacrest asked Lee how he was doing, he somberly shrugged, without responding.
Respect. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/CxlWD2tmFW
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) February 9, 2020
Seacrest moved on in his interview, asking Lee about his 2019 win.
SLIDESHOW: Best Oscar Dresses through the yearsLast year, Lee accepted the Oscar for best adapted screenplay for "BlacKkKlansman," and then leaped into Samuel L. Jackson's arms on stage.
"Jumping up into my brother Sam Jackson's arms, and he didn't let me go," Lee told Seacrest. "But this is a year later. A lot of things changed. I'm happy to be here, I'm gonna present, so, enjoy myself."
"I just gotta continue to do my work," Lee said. "Gotta keep it going."
"When you're making money doing what you love," he said, "it's a blessing."
