Spike Lee on the Knicks, Highest 2 Lowest, Denzel, A$AP Rocky, & His Legendary Film Career

We haven't won an NBA championship since the 19... 73? 72, 73 team. That's over 50 years. I know. That's five decades. I cannot imagine what you'll be like when the Knicks win another championship. New York City, Matt is going to be, I don't even want to say it, but it's going to be insane. You have season tickets for the Knicks, right? Yes, a diehard Knicks fan, and three years I've had season tickets, but I'm still not down on the floor. I ain't got the Jack Knicks t-shirt. People stayed in the lobby and talked about the film. And that's what we wanted to do. We just wanted to have a discussion. Passion, whether it's his work or his love for New York, his love for the Knicks, his love for basketball, it's a real genuine passion that you can see inside the person. Go Knicks! Go Knicks fight! What's up everybody and welcome to our boardroom May cover shoot. Today we are in Brooklyn, New York. The People's Republic of Brooklyn, New York. Fort Greene. Fort Greene, with the prodigal son and New York's biggest sports fan, my friend, Spike Lee. Well, thank you very much. Glad, glad to be here, the world headquarters of Fort Aikens and the Mule. And as you see, we have this banner behind us. This is the original banner that hung from Madison Square Garden. It's very special to me because May 8th, 1970, I was at game seven. I was 13 years old. My father, his lawyer, Peter Eichelberry, had season tickets. And during the season, he would give me tickets and he made a promise to me that if that series went to game seven, the L.A. Lakers versus New York Knicks, he would give me that seat. So, I was there, May 8th, and the one hanging in the garden. That ain't this one. It ain't this one. I'm pulling down the block. There's a championship banner hanging in the Knicks mural. Exactly as I would have imagined. And everything in here is like an artifact. It's mind-blowing to see it. There's no bigger Knick fan in the world. I love the Knicks, but I could never love a team or an era for some reason like I love that era. Starting with Patino's Knicks, Mark Jackson was my favorite Knick of all time. St. John's. St. John's. And I did notice Mark is not on the wall here. I'm going to have to bring up my St. John's Mark Jackson jerseys that you can hang up in here. Game worn? Game worn and signed. All right. All right? Yeah. I might ask for something back. Let me ask you a question. There's no off-topic. There's no off-topic. Why can't he get another job in the NBA? Is that you can't talk about? No, we can definitely talk about it because it's been something that's bothered me for... It pains me. It pains me. It's a joke, to be honest with you. Both of us. Yeah, it pains us. And I think this is like, sadly, like a victim of a narrative that just perpetuated. Yeah, how many years ago was that? It's still going on? Ten years now. I mean, he laid the foundation. He laid the foundation. I love Steve Kerr. Peace and love, Steve. You know I love you. But he laid the foundation for that team. Yes, and for Steph and Klay and Draymond's confidence is what they talk about a lot. What he was able to instill in them about like, why not us? And Steph playing the way Steph plays, the inflection point in Steph's career happened when Mark was coaching him. I agree with you. A lot of it has to do with narrative. In some ways, like the way Shador slipped in the draft, and we don't have to go deep into that, but like it almost... That would be a deep one. That's a mini-series. That perpetuated itself. It's like the story was told, and then the story continues to get told. And I think with Mark, you know, everyone said he was like this Bible-thumping preacher. Right. And I said to him, I was like, bro, is it true? Like you took Steph to church to heal his ankles? That was a thing? No, no, it was like one little subplot in him. You know what he said to me? What? Did his ankles heal? You've lived a billion lives, Spike, and it feels like your exposure to all of this talent has allowed you maybe this gift to be able to pluck people from outside the world of film to be in your movies, right? Like you did it with Ray Allen. Do you know you can see it? Not sometimes, but they're going to get auditioned. I'm not going to say... You're in a film right away. I mean, they got to... You obviously can spot something. Yeah. Right? What did you spot in A$AP Rocky? He was in a film that my wife, Tanya, produced, Monster. Him and John David Washington played the opposite of him. In fact, John David Washington's first move for his film, he was in Malcolm X at the very end. He's one of those kids. My name is Malcolm X. You are Malcolm X. I'm Malcolm X. I was kidding about that. Denzel is a beast. When you see a championship fight, you want to see whoever the heavyweight champion is, you want to see somebody who's going to test him. In a movie, if you have two characters that go head-to-head, you got to cast somebody who's going to hold his ground with Denzel. A$AP's from Harlem. He held his ground. They go toe-to-toe. Denzel is so intimidating. I've seen it. Has Denzel changed as an actor from 18 years ago? That's a great question. There's different levels of greatness. And anytime Denzel's in front of the camera, he's going to put the work in. It's a blessing that Denzel and I are together. The dynamic duo, D and Lee. One thing that has changed in 18 years is the film business. And I know you did your last film on Netflix. You just did this film with A24 and Apple. A24 is like the premier brand right now in Hollywood. This is your first experience working with them? Great. What makes them such an incredible organization? Here in New York, I think that's a lot to do with the vibe and the culture. It's different than L.A. Without question. L.A., you get in the car, drive to the studio. You have no interaction with people. It's a different vibe. I'm not hating on L.A. But there's an energy. You get off at LaGuardia or JFK, you're like... Adrenaline. Adrenaline. Energy. Woo! Hits you in the face. So you think that's at the core of what makes A24? They got smart people, too. Tell me about the film from the excited director, Spike Lee. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. Yeah, I like this. Well, we don't want nobody. It's an R-rated movie. I cannot just belittle the word blessing. When you are giving gifts, it's not like these things happen every day. And for Denzel to think of me to work with one of his last films, he set his own record, and us work together on one of the great films ever made by one of the great filmmakers ever made, Akira Kurosawa, a Japanese filmmaker, who I got to meet. Here's the thing. I believe in the spirit. I'm going to give you an example. May 19th, 1989, was the world premiere of Do The Right Thing. May 19th, 2025, will be the world premiere of Highest or Lowest. May 19th, 2025, will be Malcolm X's 100th birthday. May 19th is a Monday, and that's the only day Broadway is dark. And this will be the first time that Denzel's been the can with the film. And I believe in my own hearts and hearts, my brother. This is not an accident. This is not like some lucky ----. Nah. This ---- lined up. I can't wait to see this movie, bro. Whatever you want to call it, kismet, karma, that's not an accident. Is it an interesting relationship with someone like Denzel who when you talk about maximizing talent, like nobody has maximized the talent like he has. Is the relationship that the two of you have unique in that way where he knows what a fan you are of his in that? It's mutual, but here's the thing, though. Me and Denzel don't really hang out. Both Denzel and I did not know Inside Man was 18 years ago. Time flies, so we don't hang out. But when we're together, it's like, when the Knicks are in L.A., yo, Denzel, I'm coming in. Getting back together now for this project, how did this script come to you? Denzel, Spike, let's do it again. He was attached to it, and I said, let's go. Denzel's range, Othello, Malcolm X, there were many times, cast and crew, we were pinching ourselves because to our minds, to our eyes, and to our heart, we were seeing Malcolm, not Denzel Washington. We were seeing Malcolm. There was this one scene, it was kind of long, so I'm looking at the script while Denzel's going, and Ernest says to me, Spike, get ready to roll out. As far as the script rolls for that scene, it was over, and Denzel kept going, and Ernest said to me, Spike, we rolled out. So I went up to Denzel. His eyes were glazed over. I said, D, what was that? He said, Spike, I don't know. It was done, and he went on for another minute. We were like, what the ****? Your mind is still blown when you're working with him. Let's relate to sports, where somebody's hot, and then walks, let's say Curry, right? He's 50 feet out in a locked room, interviews. What happened? I don't know. I was just on the zone. That's the level of greatness that we're talking about, where you don't even know what you're doing. Do you feel like that's happened to you on every project you've done? No, it doesn't happen every time. So you know the difference on the projects you've worked on where you felt like you were in the zone? Do the right thing. In the zone. Not in the gate of the work, but just like where you're doing stuff that you know it's not you. Call it God, whatever, almighty, whatever you want to call it, but you're not in control. Here's the thing, though. You got to put the work in, and that's when the blessings come. I think he's just a massive supporter of anybody who's on the hustle. If he can tell that you're putting in the effort, he's got your back, and especially if you live in Fort Greene. Here's a story. Late great Jim Riswell and Bill Davenport worked at Hawaiian Kennedy, and they saw the film. She's Gonna Have It. They called me up. Spike, we want you to direct a Nike commercial. I said, for who? They said, for Michael Jordan. I said, what? We want you to play Mars in black and white like She's Gonna Have It. She said, there's a catch. I said, what's the catch? Michael Jordan does not know who you are, and he has not seen She's Gonna Have It. So we did the commercials, and Nike went to Stratosphere. Yo, Mars Blackmon. I never directed commercials before, so I always had this thought in my mind. Why did he choose me? So it wasn't until All-Star Weekend in Toronto. It was me and Mike in a room alone. I said, Mike, you have not seen She's Gonna Have It. You didn't know who I was. People were telling you that Spike's never directed a commercial. He looked at me and said, Motherfucker, you're wearing my shoes. Oh my God. I've had the honor and privilege of being called a ************ by Michael Jordan several times. See you later, Spike, he says. See you in the next Nike commercial. That's the of course sign at the garden. Motherfucker, sit your skinny black ass down. I'd be like, OK, Mike. A look will do it. That double nickel at the garden. Looked over to Spike Lee. Was I to tell him to go on home? Yeah, he can have a safe flight back to New York. He was looking at me. I was like this. I didn't want to see him looking at me. Obviously you love every era of the Knicks. You're as loyal as they get. But is this era the era in your mind that has more of your heart than any other time in Knicks history? Yes, and the great Dick Barnett just passed. Rest in peace. I knew all these guys. The late great Willis, Reed. I love these guys. Let me tell a quick story, though. Every time I see John Starks, I hug him. Going back, game five. Reggie went insane. Reggie Miller scoring eight points in the final 32 seconds, taunting Spike Lee and 19,000 at Madison Square Garden. The next day, my face is on the cover. I'm on the front and the back of the Daily News. Front and the back of the New York Post. Front and back of Newsday. I was the most hated person in New York City. Spike is everywhere here at Market Square. He has become the battle cry of Pacer fans. And the next game was game six. In Indiana. Sports rate was even bigger back then. Spike, don't go, don't go. I said, I gotta go. Get off the plane. I'm bombarded with media, press, TV. Then before the game, I visit Mike Tyson. Oh, because he was in Indiana? Yeah, in prison. So the whole prison was against me. Mike Tyson, they would kill him. That game, Indiana was up in the fourth quarter. And the ushers ringed. They were around the court rope. Stopped like a stampede. And then John Starrs got hot. Right now, John is tired of me hugging him every time. He says, Spike, all right, all right, right, right. No more hugs. The season was extended to game seven. Came back to the Garden. The tip-in by Patrick. I would have had to move. Yeah, your safety was extended. Same with Buckner. I was at the game, Shea Stadium. Last row, Shea Stadium when the ball rolled through Buckner's leg. He had to move. Once they won the Red Sox one, then they brought him back. Michael's no Bill Buckner. But he's trying. John, you know I can't hug you now, but thank you again. Because the Lees were like, get the **** out of here. I just want to clear this up, because it seems like you're a New York sports fan of all teams. I even had you in Brooklyn during that little run. Giants or Jets? Here's the thing. When I was growing up in Brooklyn, here were my guys. Namus, Maze, Ali, and Clyde Frazier. When I was a kid, and I think about this all the time, I idolized these guys. And I got to meet them later on. I mean, when you're a kid, these guys are gods. You get to meet them, and they know your films. I mean, it's nothing for me. I mean, that's a great, great feeling. No, I do. I sometimes feel like I'm a kid. I still feel like a kid. I still walk in a room and feel like I'm a teenager. I'm still enamored. These were our heroes when we were growing up. And that doesn't change. But I feel like you're like that with everybody. I remember walking through F1 with you, and you wanted to go say hello to all these people. You were such a fan of other people's greatness. And then as people see you come, they're so enamored by you. What is it that still gets you so excited about this access you've had for 40 years? I remember touring Prince's studio in a state with you, and I'm sitting there, and I'm in awe. And not only are you in awe, you had lived it. You had been at these parties with him. Because the people that were my heroes and sheroes, they were given a God-given gift, and they maximized it. When you see somebody like that, and they're at the top of their craft, game, whatever, it's being around God-like. Like, me and Prince were tight. And we would see each other maybe once every five years. There's a famous picture of us sitting together at the All-Star game. I said, Prince, I need a guitar, because I'm a collector. Prince looked at me like I had three heads. And if there was a balloon, like a comic book, Prince was like, please. And then a year later, this big-ass guitar case shows up. A year later! You know, every year, we have a Prince block party, a Michael Jackson block party. Sometimes we combine them, and I always bring out their guitar. But another thing is that I did this film, Girl 6, and I said, I want to use nothing but Prince's music. I read the script, said, Spike, and he stole you off my catalog. You got it. I mean, what is that? You want milk or F&F? Three. Thank you. OK. I've been working here since 77. Yeah, in this store. Spike Lee is a quiet neighborhood guy. You know what I mean? He's a nice guy. He tries to work with the neighborhood. He does a lot of stuff in this area, in this neighborhood. The first day that we opened, massive supporter of just everything in the neighborhood. They think, you know, like, hey, he's to himself. No, it's not that. If he was to stop and say hello to everybody in the neighborhood, then, you know, he's not going to have time for himself or do what he has to do. Spike, don't get upset at me. Somebody's trying to make me mad, so I'm just passing it along. Your understanding of talent, like cross-sector, right? Like what you see in Mike or Prince or... Michael Jackson. Right, you have Michael Jackson stories. Yeah. So out of nowhere, Michael Jackson calls me. Pick up the phone. I said, hello? Hello? Who is this? This is Michael. I hung up the phone. Michael calls again. Who is this? It's Michael Jackson. Spike. I hung up the phone. The third time. See, this is what Mike... Spike, this is Michael Jackson. Don't... See, he used to do that. He had a deep voice. And he would use it when one of us get out of line. I remember we would shoot one of the short films. And I'm like, Spike, Spike. He's trying to get my attention. Spike! I don't know where the **** that come from. I'm not going to imitate Mike. He just said, Spike, I need you to come to L.A. because I got this new CD coming out, album called History. I was excited. I mean, he's calling me out of nowhere. I said, Mike, I can't. My daughter, she's like four months old. I can't get there. So he said, I'll come to New York. He comes in. He said, Spike, can I see your daughter? So I said, Tanya! She's coming down the steps. This is my hold. He said, what kind of hold? His hold. Oh, she's beautiful, Spike. She's beautiful. Then he kissed the satchel on the forehead. Tanya took... They went back upstairs. So we're sitting in my living room. Hands me the CD. He said, Spike, you have to pick one song. I love every single song. I said, Mike, it's really hard for you to make a choice. He said, Spike, you have to choose one. So I said, all right, if you put a gun to my head, I would like to do also... He didn't call them music videos. He called them short films. I would like to do the short film for A Stranger in Paris. A Stranger in Paris? You want to do They Don't Care About Us? Boy, you should have told me. The trick is to get somebody to do what you want to do and then make it seem like that's their choice. That's managing talent. That's the gangster ----. That's gangster. I hold inspiration from a lot of his classic films, and I also really wanted to bring to light where Spike grew up, the court green as well. There are little stoop cutouts to really emphasize the brownstones and horror scenes from his films where a lot of the conversations were had on stoops. It's always been a very collaborative process where he just lets me run with it. How important for you will the theater experience always be? Would you have even wanted to do this film if they told you this was going right to Apple? No. No chance, right? They're not going to do that to Denzel. And they're not going to do it to Spike Lee. Denzel, me. See, that's what's incredible about you. I'm telling you, that's the way the studio is. I don't have the box office first day opening. He's a major star, me. Regardless, the theater experience will always be paramount. When you're in a theater, man, I remember waiting in line and freezing weather to see The Exorcist. I remember waiting in line to see Jaws in the summer. I remember wanting to see Alien and The Godfather. I mean, where the theater's packed. And like, that feeling when a film is hitting on levels. I don't care how big your TV is in your living room. It's a community. Black, white, whatever. I mean, it's just like you're all vibing to what we're saying. Give me your phone, somebody. Anybody's phone. Thank you. Can you imagine The Godfather, I mean, like this? And then, it's not even like this. They're looking at it like this. Sinners was incredible. Let me tell you a story. So I was in LA. The phone rings. It's Ryan. I said, what's up? He said, Spike, you in LA? Yeah, I'm here. We're testing the final IMAX of Sinners. He said, can you get here in an hour? I said, bet. He laughed. In fact, I posted my reaction to the film on Instagram. I said, I haven't seen a film like this in years. I also said, I was jumping up and down like I'm Coruscant at the garden and we're kicking the Celtics' ass. Well, that's probably the greatest feeling you could feel. And MBJ's performance, is he in that type of kind of conversation that Denzel's been in? And he's one of these special generational ones. Yeah, and here's the thing. Because people like trying to start some ----. The love that Denzel and I have for Ryan and Michael is number love. We ain't never seen no ---- like we're beefing. Because I want to squash that ---- before it starts. Because the film, you know, already saying like, I mean, it's a good thing. This is the year of black cinema. Sinners and highest and lowest. But here, it's love. It's admiration where you want people to be the best they can be. There ain't no competition. There's room enough for everybody to thrive. For you to thrive doesn't mean you're hating on somebody else. That ---- gotta go. I saw Tyler Perry at the gala. You know, even though that ---- had been squashed, I went up to Tyler and said, I'm apologizing again for the stuff we went through. And Tyler said, Spike, man, I ain't around. I said, nah, you're here. I said, Hulk, we're at a time now that we gotta be like this. We gotta be tight. Those are probably the same people that are making a big deal about the deal that Ryan Coogler got for himself. This is not the first time in the history of history where an actor who has the power has signed my contract at the specific time the motherf***ing film reverts back to me. It's not the first time. There's hatred on a brother doing this. Oh, now that's a crime? It was a crime before? Nah, you're right. You're right. That ----'s so obvious where that critique's coming from. Get the f*** out of here. Straight up. That's the Brooklyn accent right there. Italian-American. Get the f*** out of here. I know you loved seeing Kendrick at the Super Bowl. Hip-hop has been so aligned and intertwined throughout your career and your projects and just who you are. How do you see the state of hip-hop and how important is someone like Kendrick? Kendrick, I think, revitalized hip-hop. And that halftime show, people talking about that for decades. The rest ever that we have. I think of white lines. Something like phenomenon. That was my ----. Something like phenomenon. I don't know when I'll see something like that again where it's like a cultural moment. It's like a tornado. It's like, whoosh, just coming through. Do you have a relationship with him? I would like to, but I never met him. You know him, right? I don't know him. You don't know him? No. You know everybody! I don't know him. That's the one person you don't know. Spike just keeps to himself, you know what I mean? He's a good dude, you know? There's just so much respect for him from all the players on the team, the visiting team. I think the words to describe him would be gracious. Without him, it wouldn't be Fort Greene. You know your place in history? No one's ever asked me that question. Give it to me. I've never ever thought about that. I'm going to be in two years, I'm going to be 70. Not like I'm packing it up. I'm going to keep making films and keep teaching, share my knowledge and yes, wisdom, but also with the mishaps and the falls and instill in my students that you've got to make your motherfucking films. And it really troubles me sometimes when I have students who are like, well, Professor Lee, well, I don't want... No, I say stop! I don't want to hear that. Don't come here with that stuff. You got to do it. Let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go. So let me ask you again. Do you know your place in history? Do you understand what you've meant to so many people, what your films have meant, the walls you've kicked down? You know what? I got an answer for you. Not in Boston! I take it. Not in B-Town! You are a one of one, my friend. Thank you, thank you. I appreciate you. Good luck in Cannes. I can't wait to see this movie and whether you know it or not, your place in history is cemented for generations to come. Thank you. Spike Lee, May cover story, Boardroom. This was an honor and a blessing. Thank you, bro.