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Kobe Bryant and Joe Bryant (Source: X)
On Tuesday, Joe Bryant father of the late Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant passed away at the age of 69 due to a massive stroke as per reports. Joe Bryant, a former player and coach, went by the nickname "Jellybean" because of his fondness for candies.
Golden State Warriors selected him with the 14th overall pick in the 1975 NBA Draft; he later joined the Philadelphia 76ers. Before moving abroad to spend the last nine years of his playing career, he also played for the Houston Rockets and San Diego Clippers. Joe Bryant has spent eight seasons with three different teams in the NBA.
As per AP News, “We are saddened to announce the passing of La Salle basketball great Joe Bryant,” the school said in a news release. “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.”
Throughout 606 games during his time in NBA Joe Bryant had an average of 8.7 points, 1.7 assists and 4 rebounds. After taking retirement Joe Bryant coached for three decades as he returned to his alma mater, LaSalle. He also was an assistant coach for three seasons. He also coached the Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA for three seasons.
Joe Bryant lost his son Kobe Bryant four years ago
He then started an international career that included stints in France and Italy. Kobe Bryant was influenced by his time in Italy, where he became proficient in Italian and began to genuinely enjoy basketball. When Kobe Bryant was thirteen, his family relocated to the Philadelphia region. Four years later, when he was a high school standout, he was drafted.
Earlier in January 2020 Joe Bryant lost his son Kobe Bryant and his granddaughter Gianna in a helicopter crash along with seven other people as they are going for a basketball tournament. Joe Bryant was married to Pam Bryant and had a frosty relationship with his son Kobe Bryant. During his memorial service in Los Angeles, he was present in the front row.