Joe ‘Jellybean’ Bryant, Longtime NBA Vet and Father to Kobe Bryant, Dies

Journeyman NBA power forward Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, father of Hall of Fame Los Angeles Lakers superstar shooting guard Kobe Bryant, has passed away at the far-too-young age of 69, reports Mike Sielski of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Joe Bryant’s passing is just the latest sad early death in the Bryant family this decade. Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna (Joe’s granddaughter), both passed away in a tragic helicopter accident in January 2020, along with seven other souls. Kobe was 41, Gianna just 13.

Sielski reports that Fran Dunphy, head coach at Bryant’s alma matter La Salle University, revealed that Bryant had incurred a “massive stroke” recently that preceded his death.

A Philadelphia native, Joe Bryant suited up for his hometown La Salle Explorers for two seasons, from 1973-75. The 6-foot-9 power forward then entered the 1975 NBA Draft, where he was selected with the No. 14 pick by the Philadelphia 76ers, allowing him to stay local for a while. In 1979, he was traded to the then-San Diego Clippers, where he logged probably his most memorable in-game highlight, an epic dunk against Hall of Fame Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the 1979-80 season opener. After three seasons with that club, he linked up with the Houston Rockets in 1982-83.

In 606 regular season NBA games, Bryant posted averages of 8.7 points on 45 percent shooting from the floor and 74.3 percent shooting from the foul line, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists.

Following eight NBA seasons, Bryant continued his pro career abroad, playing for Italian teams AMG Sebastiani Rieti, Standa Reggio Calabria, Olimpia Pistoia, and Reggiana plus French team Mulhouse, from 1983-91.

Joe Bryant subsequently relocated his family back to Philadelphia, just in time for Kobe to start a legendary prep career at Lower Merion High School. Kobe Bryant would go on to be selected with the No. 13 pick in the 1996 NBA Draft and would enjoy a 20-year career with the Lakers that included 18 All-Star berths, seven NBA Finals appearances (five victories), and one league MVP trophy.

Joe Bryant, meanwhile, moved on to enjoy a lengthy coaching career. He kicked off that run with a year-long stint at Akiba Hebrew Academy in Lower Merion, guiding the girls’ varsity team, in 1992-93. He then linked up with La Salle as an assistant coach from 1993-96, before moving on to coach ABA squads the Las Vegas Rattlers and Boston Frenzy from 2003-05.

Bryant enjoyed a pair of stints coaching the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks, from 2005-07 and then again in 2011. He also served as a coach abroad, for the Tokyo Apache, Levanga Hokkaido, the Bangkok Cobras, the Chang Thailand Slammers, and most recently Rizing Fukuoka.

More News: Kobe Bryant: The Life Story You May Not Know