Spike Lee is bringing together his great loves of filmmaking and basketball by shooting the opening sequences for the 2021 National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals.

The Do The Right Thing director will also appear in the two-minute broadcast segments, which will air just before each game’s tip-off on U.S. network ABC, starting next week.

The four sequences will each be inspired by icons of the sport, and New York Knicks superfan Spike is thrilled to be involved in the Finals coverage.

In a statement obtained by Variety, he writes, “As a basketball aficionado and an orange-and-blue (Knicks) faithful it is my honor and pleasure to direct the NBA Finals opens.

“I thank Commissioner Adam Silver, (producers) ESPN and ABC for giving me the opportunity to do what I love – sports and cinema. YA-DIG? SHO-NUFF (sic).”

The NBA Finals will be a showdown between the Western Conference champs the Phoenix Suns and either the Milwaukee Bucks or the Atlanta Hawks, who are tied at two games apiece as they battle it out for the Eastern Conference title.

– Cover Media