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February 9, 2020

Oscars 2020: Spike Lee wears Kobe Bryant tribute suit

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By Emily Shapiro

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.

Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Spike Lee, left, wearing a jacket with the number 24 in honor of the late Kobe Bryant, and Tonya Lewis Lee arrive at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
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On the red carpet, when Ryan Seacrest asked Lee how he was doing, he somberly shrugged, without responding.

Seacrest moved on in his interview, asking Lee about his 2019 win.

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Last 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."

Amy Sussman/Getty Images
Tonya Lewis Lee and filmmaker Spike Lee attend the 92nd annual Academy Awards, Feb. 9, 2020, in Hollywood, Calif.
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"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."

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