In a chat with Jake Paul this week, U.S. President Donald Trump set the record straight on a rumored encounter with Kobe Bryant. As Trump explained, he was not a part of the action, but he was there to help make the peace as the NBA legend clashed with a fellow player right before his eyes.
“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. “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.”
Donald Trump has always had enormous respect for Kobe Bryant, and he’s demonstrated that time and time again. His latest tribute to the legend was back in February, when he announced Bryant’s inclusion in the ‘Garden of Heroes’ project. Of course, that act pales in comparison to what he did for the Mamba nearly three decades ago, when he broke up what could have been a costly altercation.
The incident happened back in 1998, during All-Star Weekend in New York. Kobe Bryant ran into Jayson Williams in the elevator at the Grand Hyatt hotel, which Trump used to own. We don’t know exactly what was said, but it was enough for Williams to become enraged, causing him to go off and lunge at Kobe.
The two would have thrown hands right then and there if not for Trump, who watched it all go down. He broke up the scuffle and came out unscathed, serving as the hero of a story that’s rarely ever told. He never really spoke about that incident again, although it’s not something he ever forgot.
Today, as the sitting U.S. President, it’s hard to imagine Trump in such a position, especially since he’s usually the one escalating situations. Nevertheless, you have to credit the man for not sitting by and watching the athletes throw hands. He seized the moment, won control, and was able to establish peace when lines had been crossed.
It’s a reminder of his fearlessness and a testament to his preference for peace. In these difficult times, many Americans are calling for that same peace, but it remains to be seen how things will progress. For Kobe, at least, that encounter with Trump prevented a bad situation from getting worse, no doubt giving him a lasting impression of his character.
