Few things could pull Spike Lee away from a courtside seat for the New York Knicks, but the Cannes Film Festival trumps all.
Lee is in France to support his new film, “Highest 2 Lowest,” which means he’ll miss the opening games of the Knicks’ playoff series. Still, he has left no doubt where his heart really lies. At the premiere on Monday, the director paid tribute to his beloved basketball team by wearing a suit in the Knicks’ signature blue and orange. He doubled down at the news conference on Tuesday, showing up in Knicks gear from head to toe.
“Knicks in how many?” a journalist asked him.
Lee didn’t hesitate: “We only need four.”
The director said that even during the production of “Highest 2 Lowest,” which stars Denzel Washington as a wealthy New Yorker whose son is involved in a kidnapping, his filming schedule revolved around the Knicks.
“When people know the Knicks are playing that day, they know they get to come home early,” he joked. “They’re calling home like, ‘Honey, I’ll be home for dinner tonight!’”
To the chagrin of the baffled French news media, basketball came up again and again in the hourlong news conference. At one point, the director took a question from journalist Chaz Ebert, who introduced herself by noting that she hailed “from the home of the Chicago Bulls.”
Lee perked up, ready to do battle. “Can I ask you a question?” he responded. “When’s the last time Michael Jordan played?”
“He left with six rings,” Ebert replied.
“Hold on, wait a minute,” Lee parried. “I want you to know that Michael Jordan was born in Brooklyn, New York.”
Still, Ebert would not relent. “Tell me, where do the six gold rings reside? In Chicago!” she said.
Washington wasn’t present for the news conference, since his commitment to the Broadway production of “Othello” necessitated a tight turnaround: He walked the red carpet with Lee, accepted an honorary Palme d’Or award, then flew back to New York. But Lee talked extensively about his longtime collaboration with the actor, which has now spanned five films.
Lee shared that before they ever worked together, he went to see the Civil War film “Glory,” for which Washington was nominated for best supporting actor in a category that also included Lee’s “Do the Right Thing” actor Danny Aiello.
“There’s a scene where Denzel’s getting whipped,” Lee said. “When that tear came down his cheek, I said to myself, Danny, you ain’t winning.”
Washington took the Oscar that year, though Lee admitted he still felt a bit salty about the time the “Scent of a Woman” star Al Pacino beat Washington’s “Malcolm X” performance. “No disrespect to my brother Al Pacino, I love him, but Denzel in my opinion should have won,” said Lee, who couldn’t help but sneak in another sports reference.
“It’s like basketball where a ref blows a call, then you got the makeup call. The makeup call was ‘Training Day,’ which he won an Oscar for.”
Kyle Buchanan is a pop culture reporter and also serves as The Projectionist, the awards season columnist for The Times.
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