Advertisement - scroll for more content
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement - scroll for more content
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Charles Oakley, the legendary Knicks forward known as the toughest man in the league recalls that Trump was a constant presence in that scene. I spoke with Oakley by phone throughout the afternoon and he told me that he remembers Donald Trump being around New York City and very cool with NBA athletes and other celebrities back then when he was a media mogul and worked in travel long before he became President of the United States. On this particular night the elevator at the Grand Hyatt was crowded. Inside stood Trump and Jayson Williams who was a 6’10” powerhouse for the Nets and Oakley. When the doors opened, Kobe Bryant walked in.
That search for respect hit a wall in the Grand Hyatt elevator. As the story goes Jayson Williams offered a casual greeting to the young Bryant. Kobe, perhaps distracted or simply possessing that singular aloof focus that would define his career gave a dismissive nod or a short response without making eye contact. Bryant was reportedly listening to a Walkman and while he heard the greeting he merely shrugged and slurred “Hey big man” without looking up. In the “Old School” code of the 90s NBA this was a cardinal sin. Williams was a man whose career was defined by both immense talent and a hair trigger temper and he took it as a personal insult. According to witnesses Williams lunged and shouted “Are you f—-n’ kidding me?” before landing a punch to Bryant’s cheek.
The confined space of an elevator is the last place you want to be when a 270 pound professional athlete decides to throw a punch. Williams reportedly swung at Bryant and the situation threatened to turn into a full blown brawl between a veteran who felt disrespected and a teenager who refused to back down. This is where the story shifts from a standard locker room scrap to a surreal piece of history. Donald Trump standing between the two giants didn’t head for the corner. He stepped into the fray. Trump later confirmed the lore during an interview with Jake Paul by stating that he was breaking up a fight. He noted that breaking up a fight is sometimes more dangerous than being in one. He liked Kobe and saw that Kobe was having a hard time with somebody but it worked out fine. Trump physically intervened and grabbed Williams and told Kobe to get out of there quickly. The doors opened and Bryant exited and a potential disaster for the NBA’s rising star was averted by the man who would eventually occupy the Oval Office. Interestingly when I spoke with Charles Oakley he mentioned that while he was there he does not personally remember the specific details of this elevator fight. However he noted that Jayson Williams tells the story often and he emphasized that Jayson is an awesome storyteller who brings these moments to life with incredible detail.
Jayson Williams: I’ve caused a lot of pain in my life. I accidentally, recklessly, took a man's life. I went to prison for being a coward. And I just… We called the police in 11 seconds, 911, to help him, but I went to prison not for the accident, but for the cover up. There's no feeling in this world, Jim, like taking something that a man ever going to have, what he has, taking him away from anything that… a future. So, what makes me happy is something that when people go through ‘Rebound’ and I see the light go on and they're working on their addiction or when they go through ‘Rebound on the Road’ right here with all these trucks and they come out of re-entry and they coming back into society from being homeless or needing another chance. Cuz if I told you I needed a second chance from you, Jim, I don't need a second chance. I need another chance because I'd be a hypocrite. I've been through my second chances. I need another chance. And we don't ever know when that light's going on.
Jayson Williams’ lone All-Star appearance came in 1998, at none other than Madison Square Garden. It was a night filled with memories, but one moment stood out above all—the presence of Larry Bird. “I remember walking into the locker room and seeing Coach Bird there,” Jayson recalled. “When I first came into the league, he must’ve lit me up for 45 points. I wanted to get in the game, and he kept saying, ‘Put the rookie in! Put the f—-n’ rookie in!’ So when I got there to the locker room, he just looked at me and said, ‘Your minutes are on the board.’ That’s how you know when you’re going to play. I looked at him and said, ‘Thanks, Coach,’ and he goes, ‘You f—-n’ rookie!’ 25 years later, he still remembered!”
Advertisement
The Last Dance documentary gave fans a glimpse into the ‘98 All-Star Game locker room, where Michael Jordan famously spoke about a young Kobe Bryant. But as Jayson explained, there was more to the story. “Well, you know Michael is the loudest one in the room, right? He was coming in there letting us all know he wasn’t going to take the ball out because in the All-Star Game, when you take the ball out, you don’t get it back. He was just saying, ‘I want the ball and I want it every time!’ He was looking to create an enemy on the court so he could go out there and do what he’s gotta do. He’s MJ, baby! He’s the best who ever did it. You agree with that, right?”
When pressed on who would win in a one-on-one matchup, Williams didn’t hesitate. “I’m taking the killer! I’m taking MJ. Yeah, it’s going to be a close score. They’re two of the best that ever did it. But that boy is strong, you know? LeBron is STRONG. But if I say MJ, LeBron might get mad, and if I say LeBron, Michael and Charles Oakley are going to get mad. I can’t win this one! I’ve been in enough trouble in my life!”
Zach Lowe: Trivia: Steven Adams leads the league w/ a 19.3% offensive rebounding rate. Only 3 players have cracked 19% over a full season (minimum: 1000 mins), per @Basketball-Reference: Moses Malone (3X), Dennis Rodman (2X), Jayson Williams (2X). Rodman's '94-95 figure -- 20.8% -- is No. 1 all-time.
The daughters of former NBA All-Star Jayson Williams have denounced St. John's for its decision to induct their father into the school's athletics hall of fame because of accusations of neglect in their lives following his role in the 2002 fatal shooting of a limousine driver. Tryumph and Whizdom Williams wrote open letters that they planned to send to St. John's that said the school should be ashamed for his induction into the class during Saturday's homecoming weekend.
The sisters each accused Williams of neglect and emotional and verbal abuse and said the power forward, who once signed a six-year, $86 million deal with the New Jersey Nets, failed to provide adequate financial support.
Advertisement
A condo fire started this morning inside a unit owned by a former NBA player. Jayson Williams, who played the for the 76'ers and the Nets, says he was not home at the time of the fire, which resulted in about 20 people having to be evacuated from the building in Delray Beach.
Former NBA All-Star Jayson Williams has experienced extreme highs and painful lows in his life. The St. John’s graduate was a 1st round pick in 1990, played in the 1998 NBA All-Star game at Madison Square Garden, and was one of the big big men in the league. But, Williams’ life changed forever in February 2002 when he shot and killed his limo driver in New Jersey. Williams ended up serving 27 months in prison and is now a recovery advocate and the founder of a recovery program called Rebound at Futures Recovery Health Care in Florida.
“I have a disease that tells me I don’t have a disease in being an alcoholic,” said Williams in an interview with CBS Local’s DJ Sixsmith. “I have to wear myself out every day. I’m doing outdoor adventure therapy at Rebound. Through the grace of God, I finally found something I’m really good at. I’m great at helping people beat their addiction. It’s a tough business, but a rewarding business. The hardest part is February 13 when Mr. Christofi accidentally lost his life by my recklessness and the stuff that I did to be a coward that day. That is the roughest thing. Alcohol and ambien was my thing. I have to work on me dealing with my past.”
Jayson Williams was a rich, famous NBA star ... but he tells TMZ Sports, his job running an addiction treatment center is the most fulfilling thing he's ever done. "This is the best job I ever had." It's no secret that Jayson -- an All-Star who played 9 years in the league for the 76ers and Nets -- struggled with alcohol abuse for years, leading to tragedy off the court ... before buddies, Curtis Martin, Charles Oakley and Chris Mullin convinced him to enter rehab back in 2016.