Joe ‘Jellybean’ Bryant, father of Kobe Bryant, dies at 69

FILE – Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, left, talks to his father, Joe, as they watch a baseball game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Los Angeles Dodgers in Anaheim, Calif., Sunday, June 21, 2009. Joe “Jellybean” Bryant has died, his alma mater announced Tuesday, July 16, 2024. Joe Bryant, who spent eight seasons in the NBA with three different franchises, was 69. The Philadelphia Inquirer, citing La Salle coach Fran Dunphy, reported that Joe Bryant recently had a massive stroke. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

LOS ANGELES – Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, father of the late Lakers basketball legend Kobe Bryant and a former coach for the Los Angeles Sparks, died today at age 69.

La Salle University in Philadelphia, where Joe Bryant played from 1973-75 and was a coaching staff from 1993-96 confirmed the news on X, posting, “He was a beloved member of the Explorer family and will be dearly missed.”

La Salle basketball coach Fran Dunphy told the Philadelphia Inquirer Bryant had a massive stroke.

The former Philadelphia 76er died four years after his son Kobe and granddaughter Gianna were killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas.

Our deepest condolences to the Bryant family and our La Salle community. May we remember Joe, always. https://t.co/jXLePtXFDg

— La Salle University (@LaSalleUniv) July 16, 2024

Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s widow, posted a message Tuesday on social media.

“Sending condolences upon hearing the news of my father-in-law’s passing,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “We hoped things would’ve been different. Although the times we spent together were few, he was always sweet and nice to be around. Kobe loved him very much. Our prayers go out to family.”

Joe Bryant was a first-round draft pick of the Golden State Warriors in the 1975 NBA draft. His rights were sold to the Philadelphia 76ers months later. He spent four seasons with the Sixers before playing for the San Diego Clippers and Houston Rockets.

He played professionally in Europe with teams in Italy and France before retiring in 1992.

The years in Italy shaped Kobe Bryant; it was there that he started to truly develop a love for basketball as well as becoming fluent in Italian. The family moved back to the Philadelphia area around the time that Kobe Bryant was 13, he became a high school star and was drafted four years later.

“I’m deeply saddened by the passing of Joe ‘Jellybean’ Bryant and join the basketball community in mourning a true Philly hoops legend,” said Detroit Pistons vice chairman Arn Tellem, Kobe Bryant’s former agent. “Our friendship opened the door for me to represent Kobe as he entered the NBA, a memory I’ll always cherish. Joe was a devoted husband, father and grandfather, whose warmth touched everyone he met.”

Earvin “Magic” Johnson also posted a tribute on social media, accompanied by photos of Joe Bryant and Kobe.

“I’m devastated to hear about the loss of my friend Joe `Jellybean’ Bryant,” Johnson posted on X. “Joe was not only a talented basketball player; he was also a great coach. … Joe was an exceptional human being with a radiant smile that had the power to brighten any room, and a great husband and father.”

Joe Bryant is survived by his wife Pam, his daughters Sharia and Shaya and his grandchildren. (With CNS report)