Kobe Bryant’s father, Joe Bryant, dies

The father of basketball great Kobe Bryant has died. Joe “Jellybean” Bryant was 69.

No official cause of death was shared, but LaSalle University confirmed Joe Bryant’s death, writing that he “was a beloved member of the Explorer family and will be dearly missed,” ESPN reported.

The Philadelphia Inquirer called the elder Bryant “a basketball star in his own right,” adding that he played for Bartram High School, Las Salle and in the NBA for eight seasons.

LaSalle head coach Fran Dunphy said Joe Bryant recently suffered a massive stroke, the newspaper reported.

Joe Bryant got the nickname “Jellybean” for his love of candy. He was the Public League Player of the Year in 1972. While at La Salle, he had an average of more than 20 points and 11 rebounds over two seasons.

He was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in 1975 in the first round but was traded to the 76ers within four months, where he spent four years. He then went to the Houston Rockets before playing in Europe and eventually leaving the game as a player and moving back to the Philly area.

Joe Bryant was a head coach and at one point was the coach of the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks from 2005 through 2007 and again in 2011, TMZ reported.

While close growing up, Kobe Bryant and his father had a strained relationship after Kobe went to play for the Los Angeles Lakers and tried to disconnect from his family’s control. Joe Bryant did not comment publicly when Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020, the Inquirer reported. The NBA Hall of Famer’s daughter Gianna and seven others were also killed.

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