Kobe Bryant became Los Angeles Lakers royalty by driving them to five NBA championships and accomplishing many individual honors. Along the way, he created many unforgettable memories and left an indelible mark on the Southern California sports scene.
One reason Bryant was able to become one of the greatest NBA players ever was the fact that his father, Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, was an NBA player himself. That gave the younger Bryant the opportunity to grow up around the sport while having access to the type of training and development that helped him reach his potential.
On Tuesday, it was announced that the elder Bryant had passed away at the age of 69.
Via ESPN:
“Former NBA player Joe ‘Jellybean’ Bryant, the father of Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant, has died. He was 69.
“An official cause of Bryant’s death was not announced as of Tuesday morning. La Salle University, where Bryant played and coached, said in a statement that Bryant ‘was a beloved member of the Explorer family and will be dearly missed.’
“Longtime Philadelphia-area basketball coach Fran Dunphy, who currently is the head coach at La Salle, told the Philadelphia Inquirer that Bryant recently suffered a massive stroke.”
The elder Bryant played eight seasons in the NBA from 1975 to 1983 with the Philadelphia 76ers, San Diego Clippers and Houston Rockets. He was a flashy player with plenty of athleticism who could occasionally produce a highlight play or two.
Joe “Jellybean” Bryant. Kobe’s Dad. With the big time dunk on Kareem. RIP pic.twitter.com/UHlimxpLAy
— Chris Palmer (@ChrisPalmerNBA) July 16, 2024
He then went on to spend several years playing professional ball in Italy before he moved his family back to Philly in the early 1990s. In 1993, he became an assistant coach at La Salle University, the school he played his college ball at.
The elder Bryant would hold several other coaching gigs in the years to come, including two separate stints as the head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks. His Sparks would reach the conference finals in both 2005 and 2006.
The younger Bryant, of course, died along with his daughter Gianna and seven others in a tragic helicopter crash in January 2020.