Trump Reflects on Elevator Incident with Kobe Bryant

Former President Donald Trump seems to have admitted that he once intervened during a confrontation involving NBA legend Kobe Bryant.

This incident was first recounted in Jeff Perlman’s 2020 book, “Three-Ring Circus: Kobe, Shaq, Phil, and the Crazy Days of the Lakers Dynasty.”

In this account, basketball players Charles Oakley and Jason Williams found themselves in an elevator at Trump’s Grand Hyatt during the 1998 All-Star weekend.

Williams reportedly felt that Bryant, then a young player in only his second year, hadn’t shown him the respect he deserved, which led to an upset exchange that ultimately included the future five-time NBA champion.

According to the book, Trump stepped in to ease the tension. He grabbed Williams and urged Bryant to leave, saying, “Get out of here. Quick,” before any real altercation could take place.

In a recent interview with YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, Trump reflected on whether he had ever been in a fight and mentioned the Bryant incident, though he didn’t specify details about the elevator or Williams.

“That was a long time ago. Yes, I was trying to break up a fight,” he said. “Sometimes it’s more dangerous than being in a fight. But I like Kobe. Kobe didn’t work out with someone, and it worked out. But yeah, I broke up with him. Probably not a wise move. Historically, breaking up fights is never a good thing.”

Oakley, on his end, shared that he doesn’t remember the elevator encounter but recalls Williams discussing it frequently. “He was telling some people that I was around,” Oakley noted. “I said to him, ‘Jason, I mean, you’re 55, 57 years old. We’ve probably told that story 50 times.’”