FLUSHING MEADOWS, N.Y. — Spike Lee, who’s often spotted courtside at Madison Square Garden during Knicks games or at Yankee Stadium, is a bit of a tennis buff, too, and makes a habit of taking in matches at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Inside Tennis spoke with the “Do the Right Thing” director following Serena Williams‘ 6-3, 6-4 fourth-round win over Ana Ivanovic.
INSIDE TENNIS: What makes Serena Williams so special.
SPIKE LEE: Intelligence, athleticism and heart.
IT: What kind of legacy have Serena and her sister, Venus, given to American culture and sports in general?
SL: They’re winners. Their legacy is cemented already. It’s not even a question.
IT: Who would play Serena in a Hollywood film?
SL: I don’t know anybody that big.
IT: Is Richard Williams’ prediction that his daughters would go from Compton to Nos. 1 and 2 in the world the boldest prognostication in sports?
SL: The man’s a visionary. I know people try to deride him, but look what he did.
IT: Is their story one of the greatest in sports?
SL: Yes.
IT: What do you like most about tennis? You’re such a sports fan.
SL: I like all sports. I like to see great athletes compete, no matter what the sport is.
IT: What is it about sports that grabs you so much?
SL: It got handed down to me from my father at a very young age.
Williams later spoke of Lee, whose parents live down the street from her Palm Beach home:
“I know Spike really, really well. We’re really good friends. We always hang out in Florida. We always try to do lunch or dinner sometimes…He and his wife are great….We hit together once or twice before. He’s good…He’s crazy. He wants to win more than I do. He’s like, ‘Hit to me really hard.’ I’m like, ‘I can’t hit to you really hard. I’m going to break your racket if I do.’ He’s like, ‘No, go your hardest.’ I’m like, ‘Really?’ He’s actually really good. He’s like really, really intense. I’m a little intimidated. ‘Calm down, calm down.’
Williams said that intensity carries off the court, too. “He loves debates. Whenever we’re at dinner, he’s looking for a debate. You have to join in and pick a side. I always try to pick an opposite side so it can just be a debate. It’s fun though. I love it.” The debates continue when it comes to sports: “That’s another thing we argue about. I’m a Miami Heat fan and Dolphins fan. I support the Heat. He supports the Knicks. We always argue about that one.”
