Few can say they know Spike Lee beyond his directorial abilities, occasionally caustic comments, and New York Knicks obsession. But after hearing his lecture on Thursday night, it became clear he is more than all of those things.

Lee has gathered his share of critics during his time in the spotlight, from criticizing Clint Eastwood for his use of black actors to saying the idea of the U.S. government intentionally delaying a response to Hurricane Katrina “isn’t far-fetched.” But his intelligent, funny attitude on Thursday proved that you shouldn’t make assumptions before you’ve found something out for yourself.

From his childhood, to his movies, to his love of sports, I realized that Lee is a normal guy who happens to have an incredible passion and talent for film.

Lee, funny and clever during the lecture, kept me entertained. And through his interactions with the audience he was friendly, even funnier, and appreciative of what everyone had to say.

Whether it was embarrassing a student who said that he directed Michael Jackson’s “Bad” video (when it was really Martin Scorsese) or talking basketball with a fan that planned to go to the same Knicks game, he portrayed himself as someone that you could easily sit down with – even though the people that he’s usually sitting down with are stars like Denzel Washington.

Giving credit where credit is due, I say good for him for being able to relate to us as students and stay humble, even with a résumé like his.

Check out pictures from Lee’s lecture here.