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 completely different franchises, was 69. The Philadelphia Inquirer, citing La Salle coach Fran Dunphy, reported that Joe Bryant not too long ago had an enormous stroke.

“We’re saddened to announce the passing of La Salle basketball nice Joe Bryant,” the varsity mentioned in a information launch. “Joe performed for the Explorers from 1973-75 and was a member of our teaching employees from 1993-96. He was a beloved member of the Explorer household and will probably 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 option to a basketball event. Joe and Pam Bryant, who have been married for practically a half-century, had a typically frosty relationship with Kobe, however they have been within the entrance row for the memorial service in Los Angeles a few month after Kobe and Gianna died.

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

Joe Bryant was the No. 14 choose 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 a part of the basketball group 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 symbolize Kobe as he entered the NBA, a reminiscence I’ll at all times cherish. Joe was a faithful husband, father and grandfather, whose heat touched everybody he met.”

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

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