(KTLA) – 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 Tuesday.
His death comes four years after the passing of his son and granddaughter.
In 1975, Joe Bryant was a first-round draft pick for the Golden State Warriors. 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.
In 1983, he continued his basketball career overseas playing in Italy and France. He retired in 1992.
His family moved back to Philadelphia, where a young Kobe honed his basketball skills.
Joe Bryant later embarked on a coaching career, which led him to the Los Angeles Sparks from 2005 to 2007.
It was widely reported that there was a strained relationship between father and son. The Philadelphia Inquirer noted that Bryant had not made a public comment about his son’s death. (Kobe Bryant, 41, his daughter Gianna, 13, and seven other people died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, in January 2020.
Joe Bryant is survived by his wife, Pam, his daughters Sharia and Shaya, and his grandchildren.