Pamela and Joe Bryant attended the 2022 Black Sports Advancement Champions and Legends Awards in May.Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, former NBA player and father of the late Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, has died at the age of 69.
LaSalle coach Fran Dunphy Said Bryant recently suffered a severe stroke.
LaSalle Men’s Basketball @LaSalle_MBB
We are saddened to announce the passing of La Salle University basketball great Joe Bryant.
Joe played for the Explorers from 1973 to 1975 and was a member of our coaching staff from 1993 to 1996. He was a beloved member of the Explorers family and we will miss him dearly. pic.twitter.com/A3sgZzVkkt
Kobe’s widow, Vanessa Bryant, paid tribute in a social media post, saying Joe was “always the kindest and most fun person to be around.”
Joe Bryant played for La Salle from 1973 to 1975 before beginning an eight-year NBA career with the Philadelphia 76ers, San Diego Clippers and Houston Rockets. After his final NBA season in 1983, Bryant played nine more seasons in Europe, most of them in Italy.
Philadelphia 76ers @Sixers
Joe “Jellybean” Bryant was a local basketball icon whose legacy on the court extended beyond Bartram High School, LaSalle University, and his first four NBA seasons with the 76ers from 1975-79. Our condolences to the Bryant family ❤️💙 pic.twitter.com/BdzMoabuty
Bryant finished his NBA career with averages of 8.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.
After retiring from playing, Bryant continued to coach in the basketball world, serving twice as head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks, and also spent many years as a coach in Japanese professional basketball.
Bryant has an incredible athletic legacy, but he is best known as the father of Kobe Bryant. The Lakers standout entered the 1996 NBA draft after graduating from high school and played his entire 20-year career in Los Angeles. He has won five NBA championships, one regular season MVP award, and is considered one of the fiercest competitors in the history of professional sports.
Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, were among nine people killed in a helicopter crash in January 2020. Kobe Bryant was 41 years old.
Joe Bryant is survived by his wife, Pam, two daughters, Sharia and Shaya, and the couple’s grandchildren.
