Joe Bryant, father of the late Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant, passed away at the age of 69 on July 17, Wednesday (PH time), multiple reports confirmed.
We are saddened to announce the passing of La Salle basketball great Joe Bryant.
— La Salle Men’s Basketball (@LaSalle_MBB) July 16, 2024
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. pic.twitter.com/A3sgZzVkkt
The official cause of death has not been disclosed.
Known affectionately as "Jellybean", Joe, a Philadelphia native, was drafted as no. 14 overall pick by the Golden State Warriors but never played for the squad after getting traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Bryant spent four seasons with the 76ers and later got traded to the Los Angeles Clippers where he stayed for three years.
His last team in the Association was the Houston Rockets but after just one season, left the team to play overseas to play in Italy and France. He retired in 1992.
Five-time NBA champion and Lakers icon Magic Johnson expressed his condolences over Joe's passing, highlighting his contributions both as a player and a coach.
I'm devastated to hear about the loss of my friend Joe "Jellybean" Bryant, the father of Kobe Bryant. Joe was not only a talented basketball player; he was also a great coach. A lot of people don't know that he coached the LA Sparks in 2005, 2006, and 2011! Joe was an exceptional… pic.twitter.com/BOZDg35YYi
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) July 16, 2024
“I'm devastated to hear about the loss of my friend Joe "Jellybean" Bryant, the father of Kobe Bryant. Joe was not only a talented basketball player; he was also a great coach. A lot of people don't know that he coached the LA Sparks in 2005, 2006, and 2011! Joe was an exceptional human being with a radiant smile that had the power to brighten any room, and a great husband and father. Cookie and I are praying for his wife Pam, daughters Sharia and Shaya, and the rest of the Bryant family, friends, and all those who loved Joe,” Johnson said in a tweet.
The 76ers also honored Joe's legacy, recognizing his impact on the local basketball scene from his high school days through his NBA career.
Joe “Jellybean” Bryant was a local basketball icon, whose legacy on the court transcended his journey across Bartram High School, La Salle University, and his first four NBA seasons with the 76ers from 1975-79.°°Our condolences go out to the Bryant family ??💙 pic.twitter.com/BdzMoabuty
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) July 16, 2024
Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s wife, also expressed her sentiment on his late husband’s father on social media.
[Instagram Story | @vanessabryant]
In 606 regular season games, Jellybean averaged 8.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists.
After basketball, Bryant immediately got into coaching, landing an assistant coaching job at La Salle in 1993.
Among the many other stops in Bryant's coaching career, the most notable were his two stints as head coach of the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks where he got a chance to coach three-time WNBA champion Lisa Leslie from 2005 to 2006 and spent time during the 2011 season coaching another WNBA great in Candace Parker.
In 2020, the whole basketball world mourned with the sudden passing of his son Kobe, alongside his daughter Gianna and seven others who died in a helicopter crash.
