Joe Bryant, former NBA player and father of late basketball legend Kobe Bryant, has passed away at 69. La Salle University, Bryant’s alma mater, announced the news on Tuesday, stating,
“We are saddened to announce the passing of La Salle basketball great Joe Bryant. He was a beloved member of the Explorer family and will be dearly missed.”
Drafted 14th overall in 1975, he played eight seasons in the NBA for the Philadelphia 76ers, San Diego Clippers, and Houston Rockets. He averaged 8.7 points over 606 games.
The Philadelphia 76ers paid tribute to the elder Bryant as well on X.
After his NBA career, Joe Bryant played in Italy and France, an experience that profoundly shaped his son Kobe’s early years. This international exposure fostered Kobe’s love for basketball and fluency in Italian.
Joe Bryant later transitioned to coaching, leading teams in various countries and the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks. The Sparks organization expressed their condolences, stating,
“The Sparks are saddened by the loss of former Head Coach Joe ‘Jellybean’ Bryant and send condolences to the Bryant family.”
Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s widow, shared a touching message on social media:
“Although the times we spent together were few, he was always sweet and nice to be around. Kobe loved him very much.”
Bryant’s passing comes four years after the tragic helicopter crash that claimed the lives of his son, Kobe Bryant, his granddaughter Gianna, and seven others.
