Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, a former NBA player and father of Laker legend Kobe Bryant, has died at the age of 69.
Bryant’s death was announced on social media by his college team, the La Salle men’s basketball’s official X account.
“We are saddened to announce the passing of La Salle basketball great Joe Bryant,” the team posted on social media.
“Joe played for the Explorers from 1973-75 and was a member of our coaching staff from 1993-96,” the statement went on. “He was a beloved member of the Explorer family and will be dearly missed.”
We are saddened to announce the passing of La Salle basketball great Joe Bryant.
— La Salle Men’s Basketball (@LaSalle_MBB) July 16, 2024
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 head coach Fran Dunphy told the Philadelphia Inquirer that Bryant had recently suffered a severe stroke.
Bryant was a first-round pick of the Golden State Warriors in 1975. The man nicknamed “Jellybean” for his liking of sweets played in the NBA until 1983. After his time in the association, Bryant had a successful career in Europe.
In 1991, Jellybean moved back to Philadelphia with his family but soon began a coaching career that took him abroad again, traveling across Asia. Eventually, Bryant returned to the United States and coached the Los Angeles Sparks from 2005-2007.
Bryant’s death comes over four years after the death of his son and granddaughter, Kobe and Gigi, in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. The deadly crash also claimed the lives of the pilot and six other passengers.
