Joe ‘Jellybean’ Bryant, former NBA player and father of Kobe Bryant, dies at 69

Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, former NBA player and father of the late Kobe Bryant, has died at the age of 69. Bryant was selected in the first round of the NBA draft and played eight seasons in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers, San Diego Clippers and Houston Rockets. He later continued his career in Europe, spending a decade mainly in Italy. During his NBA career, Bryant averaged 8.7 points and 4.0 rebounds per game and was part of the 76ers team that reached the 1977 NBA Finals, where they eventually lost to the Portland Trail Blazers.

After his playing career, Bryant went on to coach, with stints in Thailand, Japan and with the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks. He also served as an assistant coach at La Salle University, where he played college basketball. La Salle offered its condolences, saying Bryant “was a beloved member of the Explorer family and will be deeply missed.”

Although the cause of death has not been made public, it is known that Bryant had recently suffered a stroke. His contributions to basketball extended beyond his own career and had a profound impact on his son, Kobe Bryant. Kobe often credited his father for his development as a player. In a 2010 interview with ESPN, Kobe noted that his father “taught him from a young age how to see the game, how to prepare for the game, how to execute.”

Joe Bryant’s last coaching position was in 2015 and he largely retired from public life following the tragic death of Kobe in a helicopter crash in 2020. In addition to Kobe, Joe Bryant is survived by his two daughters, Sharia and Shaya.