Kobe Bryant's Father, 'Jellybean' Joe, Passes Away At 69; NBA & Philadelphia 76ers Pay Tribute To Basketball Legend

Joe "Jellybean" Bryant, the father of basketball legend Kobe Bryant, has passed away at the age of 69. As of Tuesday morning, the exact cause of Joe Bryant's death hasn't been revealed.

La Salle University, where Joe played and later coached, expressed their sorrow, calling him a beloved member of their community.

Fran Dunphy, a renowned basketball coach in Philly and the current head coach at La Salle, mentioned to the Philadelphia Inquirer that Joe recently suffered a severe stroke.

Joe Bryant kept a low profile following the tragic helicopter crash that took his son Kobe’s life in 2020. Back in 2010, Kobe told ESPN that his dad was a genius when it came to basketball, teaching him the ins and outs of the game from a young age.

Basketball Career Highlights

Joe Bryant had an impressive basketball career both in the U.S. and abroad. He was a star at La Salle University, averaging 20.8 points per game over two seasons. In 1975, he was a first-round draft pick for the Golden State Warriors but was quickly traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Sixers paid tribute to Joe, saying he was a local basketball icon whose influence went beyond his time at Bartram High School, La Salle University, and his initial NBA seasons with the 76ers from 1975-79. They extended their condolences to the Bryant family.

NBA Career and Stats

Standing tall at 6-foot-9, Joe Bryant played in the NBA for eight seasons with the Sixers, Clippers, and Rockets. He averaged 8.7 points and 4.0 rebounds over 606 games. Notably, he was part of the 1976-77 Sixers team that lost to the Trail Blazers in the NBA Finals.

Coaching Career

After nearly a decade of playing in France and Italy, Joe transitioned to coaching in 1992. He served as the head coach for the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks for parts of three seasons and had various coaching roles in the U.S., Japan, and Thailand.