Joe Bryant, also known as “Jellybean,” the father of the late Kobe Bryant, a Hall of Famer in basketball, passed away, as announced by his former college, La Salle, on Tuesday.
Bryant, who played eight seasons in the NBA with three different teams, was 69 years old. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, citing La Salle coach Fran Dunphy, Joe Bryant recently suffered a severe stroke.
“We are saddened to announce the passing of La Salle basketball great Joe Bryant,” the school stated in a news release. “Joe played for the Explorers from 1973-75 and was a member of our coaching staff from 1993-96. He was a beloved member of the Explorer family and will be dearly missed.”
In January 2020, Kobe Bryant, along with his daughter Gianna and seven others, tragically died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, while traveling to a basketball tournament.
Joe Bryant was drafted as the No. 14 pick by the Golden State Warriors in 1975, but his rights were sold to Philadelphia before his rookie season. He played for four years with the 76ers, three with the San Diego Clippers, and one with the Houston Rockets, averaging 8.7 points over 606 games.
Following his NBA career, he continued in basketball internationally, playing in France and Italy. It was in Italy where Kobe Bryant, influenced by his time there, developed a deep passion for basketball and became fluent in Italian.
The Bryant family returned to the Philadelphia area when Kobe was 13 years old, where he rose to prominence as a high school basketball star and was drafted into the NBA four years later.
Joe Bryant had coaching roles in various countries, including Italy, Japan, and Thailand. He also coached the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks, coinciding with his son’s playing career in the same city for several years.
