Donald Trump has claimed he once stepped in to break up a fight involving Kobe Bryant during the NBA All-Star weekend in the late 1990s.
The story dates back decades but has resurfaced after Trump referenced the moment while discussing the late Los Angeles Lakers legend.
It relates to an incident involving several NBA players during the 1998 All-Star festivities in New York.
Donald Trump recalls breaking up Kobe Bryant’s elevator fight
The U.S. president spoke about the moment during an interview with Jake Paul where Trump described stepping in during the altercation.
“That was a long time ago. Yeah, well I was breaking up a fight, which sometimes is more dangerous than being in a fight,” Trump said.
According to accounts of the incident, Kobe Bryant entered an elevator where NBA veterans Jason Williams and Charles Oakley were already present.
Tension reportedly developed when Williams felt the young Bryant had not shown the level of respect expected from a rookie toward established veterans.
What followed reportedly escalated quickly before the situation was eventually defused.
Donald Trump says Kobe Bryant was having a hard time during the altercation
Trump suggested that Bryant was struggling in the confrontation before he helped calm the situation.
“But I like Kobe. Kobe was having a hard time with somebody, and it worked out fine. But yeah, I broke it up, probably not a smart thing to do. Historically, it’s never good to break up fights,” Trump stated.
The elevator story has circulated for years in NBA circles, with journalists and former players occasionally referencing the encounter during All-Star weekend in 1998.
Bryant would go on to become one of the greatest players in NBA history, winning five championships with the Los Angeles Lakers and earning a reputation as one of the league’s fiercest competitors.
Trump’s latest comments have brought the decades-old story back into the spotlight among basketball fans.
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