Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, the father of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant has died. He was 69 years old.
The Philadelphia Inquirer first reported the news of the former 76ers player’s death.
La Salle University head basketball coach Fran Dunphy told the outlet that Bryant had battled health issues and suffered a massive stroke on Tuesday.
In a post to X, formerly Twitter, the University announced Bryant’s passing.
“Joe played for the Explorers from 1973-75 and was a member of our coaching staff from 1993-96,” the University said. “He was a beloved member of the Explorer family and will be dearly missed.”
His death comes four years after the passing of his son and granddaughter.
In 1975, Bryant was a first-round draft pick for the Golden State Warriors out of LaSalle. Months later he found himself back in his hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to play for the Sixers after the Dubs sold his rights to the team.
Given the nickname “Jellybean” for his affinity for sweets, Bryant spent four seasons with the team before moving to the then-San Diego Clippers for three seasons and then the Houston Rockets for one season. Overall, he played just over 600 games in the NBA.
In 1983 he continued his basketball career overseas playing in Italy and France. He then retired in 1992.
His family moved back to Philadelphia where a young Kobe honed his basketball skills.
Bryant later embarked on a coaching career, which led him to the Los Angeles Sparks from 2005 to 2007.
It was widely known that there was a strained relationship between father and son. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Bryant had not made a public comment about his son’s death.
Bryant is survived by his wife Pam, his daughters Sharia and Shaya and his grandchildren.
In January 2020, 41-year-old Kobe, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.