Joe Bryant, the former basketball player and father of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, has died at the age of 69. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on Tuesday that Bryant recently suffered a massive stroke.
Known as “Jellybean” due to his love for the candy, Joe Bryant was a 6-foot-9 forward who left a mark on the basketball world. He excelled at Philly’s Bartram High School and La Salle before making it to the NBA. In 1975, Bryant was a first-round draft pick of the Golden State Warriors, and then went on to play for the Philadelphia 76ers. He spent four seasons with the Sixers, including their 1976-77 run to the NBA Finals.
After his time with the Houston Rockets, Bryant found success playing in Europe, particularly in Italy. The Bryant family later returned to the Philadelphia area, settling in Wynnewood.
Joe Bryant was very close to Kobe during his childhood and high school career at Lower Merion. However, their relationship became strained as Kobe began his Hall of Fame career with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Joe Bryant’s passing comes four and a half years after the tragic helicopter crash that took the lives of Kobe, his daughter Gigi, and seven others on January 26, 2020. Despite their differences, Joe Bryant’s influence on Kobe and his contributions to basketball will be remembered.
