Joe Bryant, Kobe Bryant’s father, dies at age 69

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, the daddy of the late Basketball Corridor of Famer Kobe Bryant, has died, his alma mater introduced Tuesday.

Bryant, who spent eight seasons within the NBA with three totally different franchises, was 69. The Philadelphia Inquirer, citing La Salle coach Fran Dunphy, reported that Joe Bryant not too long ago had a large stroke.

“We’re saddened to announce the passing of La Salle basketball nice Joe Bryant,” the college mentioned in a information launch. “Joe performed for the Explorers from 1973-75 and was a member of our teaching workers from 1993-96. He was a beloved member of the Explorer household and can be dearly missed.”

Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and 7 others died in a helicopter crash in January 2020 in Calabasas, California, because the group was making its method to a basketball event. Joe and Pam Bryant, who had been married for almost a half-century, had a generally frosty relationship with Kobe, however they had been within the entrance row for the memorial service in Los Angeles a couple of month after Kobe and Gianna died.

“Sending our condolences upon listening to the information of my father in legislation’s passing,” Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s widow, posted Tuesday on her Instagram story. “We hoped issues would’ve been totally different. Though the occasions we spent collectively had been few, he was all the time candy and good to be round. Kobe liked him very a lot.”

Joe Bryant was the No. 14 decide by Golden State within the 1975 draft, and the Warriors wound up promoting his rights to Philadelphia earlier than the beginning of his rookie season. He performed 4 years for the 76ers, three for the San Diego Clippers and one for the Houston Rockets, averaging 8.7 factors in 606 video games.

From there, he launched into a global profession, with stops in France and Italy. The years in Italy formed Kobe Bryant; it was there that he began to really develop a love for basketball in addition to changing into fluent in Italian. The household moved again to the Philadelphia space across the time that Kobe Bryant was 13, he turned a highschool star and was drafted 4 years later.

“I’m deeply saddened by the passing of Joe ‘Jellybean’ Bryant and be part of the basketball neighborhood in mourning a real Philly hoops legend,” mentioned Detroit Pistons vice chairman Arn Tellem, Kobe Bryant’s former agent. “Our friendship opened the door for me to characterize Kobe as he entered the NBA, a reminiscence I’ll all the time cherish. Joe was a faithful husband, father and grandfather, whose heat touched everybody he met.”

Joe Bryant had a variety of teaching stints, together with for groups in Italy, Japan and Thailand, in addition to stints with the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks — that means he was teaching in the identical metropolis as his son was taking part in for a variety of years.

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