Former NBA player Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, renowned as the father of Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant, passed away at the age of 69. An official cause of death has not been disclosed as of Tuesday morning. La Salle University, where Bryant both played and coached, expressed sorrow, describing him as a beloved member of their community.
Longtime Philadelphia-area basketball coach Fran Dunphy, currently head coach at La Salle, shared with the Philadelphia Inquirer that Bryant had recently suffered a severe stroke. Following Kobe Bryant’s tragic death in a helicopter crash in 2020, Joe Bryant had largely withdrawn from public life. Kobe had once praised his father as having “a great basketball mind,” attributing to him his foundational understanding of the game.
Joe Bryant had a notable career, playing and coaching professionally both in the U.S. and abroad after his standout years at La Salle, where he averaged 20.8 points per game over two seasons. He was a first-round draft pick of the Golden State Warriors in 1975 and later played for the Philadelphia 76ers, among other NBA teams.
Standing at 6-foot-9, Bryant played parts of eight NBA seasons, contributing 8.7 points and 4.0 rebounds per game across 606 games. He notably competed in the 1976-77 NBA Finals with the Sixers. After playing in Europe, Bryant transitioned to coaching in 1992, overseeing various teams including the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks and holding coaching roles in the U.S., Japan, and Thailand throughout his career.