The Academy, Spike Lee pay tribute to Kobe Bryant at 2020 Oscars

Cydney Henderson | USA TODAY

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Spike Lee is making a fashion statement in honor of Kobe Bryant.

The basketball fan and Oscar winner, who directed the 2009 documentary "Kobe Doin' Work," paid tribute to Bryant at the 92nd annual Academy Awards Sunday in a purple and gold suit, a nod to Bryant's legendary career as a Los Angeles Laker.

Lee's Gucci suit featured Bryant's number "24" stitched on his lapels and on the back. He completed his look with a pair of orange and black Kobe sneakers from Nike and his signature hat and glasses, both purple.

During an interview with E!'s Ryan Seacrest, Lee was visibly emotional when asked about his fashionable tribute to Bryant, struggling to muster up a response.

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Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California on Jan. 26.

Bryant was also an Oscar winner.

The star's "Dear Basketball" won an Oscar for best animated short film at the 2018 Academy Awards. The six-minute film is based on a poem Bryant wrote that was published in The Players Tribune in 2015, when he announced his retirement from the NBA.

"I don't know if it's possible. I mean, as basketball players we're really supposed to shut-up and dribble but I'm glad we do a little bit more than that," Bryant said as he accepted the Oscar in March 2018.

The Academy included a picture of Bryant proudly holding his Oscar during the "In Memoriam" segment, with a performance of The Beatles' "Yesterday" sung by Grammy winner Billie Eilish. The tribute included a quote from Bryant: "Life is too short to get bogged down and be discouraged. You have to keep moving. You have to keep going."

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This is not the first time Lee has fashionably paid tribute at the Oscars. Last year, the director donned another purple suit in honor of Prince, complete with a necklace of the singer's famous symbol.

Lee went on to win his first Oscar for the Best Original Screenplay for his 2018 film “Blackkklansman."

"This is a year later. A lot for things change," Lee told Seacrest. "I'm happy to be here. I'm going to present (and)... enjoy myself."

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This year's recipients of the best animated short Oscar, "Hair Love," dedicated their win to Bryant on Sunday.

"This award is dedicated to Kobe Bryant," director Matthew A. Cherry said during his acceptance speech. "May we all have a second act as great as his was."

Contributing: Anika Reed, Julia Thompson