Kobe Bryant’s Dad Joe Bryant Dies at 69
Former NBA player and father of the late Kobe Bryant, Joe Bryant, has passed away. He reportedly suffered from a massive stroke and died at the age of 69. Bryant, nicknamed “Jellybean,” played for the Golden State Warriors, the San Diego Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers and Houston Rockets in the 1970s. One of his most memorable games was when he had a slam dunk center over Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
In the 1980s and early ’90s, he went on to play in Europe and became a star in Italy and France. After he retired from playing, he worked as a head coach, most notably coaching the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks in the 2000s. He also coached in Italy, Japan and Thailand.
We are saddened to announce the passing of La Salle basketball great Joe Bryant.
Joe played for the Explorers from 1973-75 and was a member of our coaching staff from 1993-96. He was a beloved member of the Explorer family and will be dearly missed. pic.twitter.com/A3sgZzVkkt
— La Salle Men’s Basketball (@LaSalle_MBB) July 16, 2024
Of course, he was also famous for his incredibly talented son Kobe Bryant, who was in the Basketball Hall of Fame. Bryant married Pam Cox in 1975 and they had Kobe in 1978. Sadly, Kobe and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, along with seven others, died in a helicopter accident in January 2020.
He is survived by his wife, two daughters and grandchildren.
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