Spike Lee wore a custom suit in tribute to Kobe Bryant to the Oscars on Sunday (09.02.20).

Tonya Lewis Lee and Spike Lee

Tonya Lewis Lee and Spike Lee

The 62-year-old film director - who is a basketball fanatic - donned an eye-catching suit for the annual awards show at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, where he was seen sporting the colours of the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team that the late star played for.

Spike - who famously supports the New York Knicks team and is regularly seen sat courtside at their games - also had the number '24' on his jacket, in tribute to Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash on January 26.

Spike was reluctant to discuss his tribute to Bryant as he stood on the red carpet.

But the acclaimed moviemaker did reveal he was focused on working hard over the coming months.

Spike - who attended the Oscars alongside his wife, Tonya Lewis Lee - told E! News: "I just gotta continue to do my work.

"Gotta keep it going. When you have a profession that you love, that makes all the difference in the world. You're winning. When you're making money doing what you love, it's a blessing."

Meanwhile, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti recently paid a glowing tribute to the late sports star, describing him as "somebody who was so much more than just how he was on the court".

He said: "I think one message that I would say is this is not just about a man who was a basketball player, this is about a father, this is about a leader, this is about a filmmaker, this is about an artist, this is about somebody who was so much more than just how he was on the court."