According to the athletic department of La Salle University, Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, the father of the late Kobe Bryant, who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, passed away at the age of 69.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Joe had recently experienced a stroke, citing Fran Dunphy, the head basketball coach at La Salle. The exact cause of death hasn’t been confirmed yet.
Joe “was a beloved member of the Explorer family and will be dearly missed,” according to a statement from La Salle University, where he played and served as coach.
Joe was a famous basketball player, just like his well-known son. He spent four seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, three seasons with the then-San Diego Clippers, and one season with the Houston Rockets after being selected by the Golden State Warriors with the 14th overall pick in the 1975 NBA draft. He performed throughout Europe as well.
“A local basketball icon, whose legacy on the court transcended his journey across Bartram High School, La Salle University, and his first four NBA seasons with the 76ers from 1975-79,” the 76ers said in their homage to Joe.
Joe’s untimely demise occurs four years after his son Kobe and his granddaughter Gianna perished in a helicopter tragedy along with seven other individuals.
On Tuesday, Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s widow, posted on her Instagram account, “We are deeply saddened by the news of my father-in-law’s death.
“We hoped that things would have turned out differently. He was always kind and pleasant to be around, even if we didn’t spend much time together. Kobe had a deep affection for him.
Former Kobe teammate Doug Young praised Joe as the ideal “role model.”
“I could not have asked for a more positive mentor, teacher, and role model than Joe, who was our JV coach at Lower Merion,” Young told ESPN. The impact he had on me and my teammates cannot be overstated. He encouraged us all to improve and made basketball enjoyable; he had faith in us. I will always remember his contagious smile, his bear hugs, and the amazing friendship he had with Kobe. The Bryants were the family we admired and loved the most while we were growing up in Lower Merion, and it all began with Joe.
The Pistons’ vice chairman and former Kobe Bryant’s agent, Arn Tellem, shared his sorrow at Joe’s passing and joined the basketball community in honouring a true Philadelphia basketball hero. Because of our friendship, I was able to represent Kobe when he joined the NBA, which is an experience I will always treasure. Joe was a loving grandfather, father, and husband who warmed everyone he came into contact with.