Joe âJellybeanâ Bryant, the father of the late Basketball Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant, has died at the age of 69, La Salle Universityâs athletics department reported.
Citing La Salle menâs head basketball coach Fran Dunphy, The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote Joe had recently suffered a stoke. The exact cause of death hasnât been confirmed yet.
La Salle University, where Joe played and coached, said in a statement that he âwas a beloved member of the Explorer family and will be dearly missed.â
Just like his famous son, Joe was a renowned basketball player himself.
Drafted by the Golden State Warriors as the 14th overall pick in the 1975 NBA draft, he played for the Philadelphia 76ers for four seasons, the then-San Diego Clippers for three seasons, and the Houston Rockets for one season. He also played in Europe.
The 76ers paid tribute to Joe, calling him âa local basketball icon, whose legacy on the court transcended his journey across Bartram High School, La Salle University, and his first four NBA seasons with the 76ers from 1975-79.â
Joeâs sudden passing comes four years after the tragic death of his son Kobe and his granddaughter Gianna, who were killed in a helicopter crash with seven other people.
Kobeâs widow, Vanessa Bryant, wrote on her Instagram story on Tuesday, âSending our condolences upon hearing the news of my father-in-lawâs passing.
âWe hoped things wouldâve been different. Although the times we spent together were few, he was always sweet and nice to be around. Kobe loved him very much.â
Former Kobe teammate Doug Young praised Joe as the ideal ârole model.â
âJoe was our JV coach at Lower Merion and I could not have asked for a more positive mentor, teacher, and role model,â Young told ESPN.
âItâs difficult to overstate how much he influenced me and my teammates. He made basketball fun and made us all want to be better; he believed in us.
Iâll never forget his infectious smile, his bear hugs and the incredible bond he shared with Kobe. Growing up in Lower Merion, there was no family we loved and admired more than the Bryants, and that started with Joe.â
Arn Tellem, the vice chairman of the Pistons and formerly Kobe Bryantâs agent, expressed his sadness over the loss of Joe and joined the basketball community in mourning a true Philly hoops legend.
âOur friendship opened the door for me to represent Kobe as he entered the NBA, a memory Iâll always cherish. Joe was a devoted husband, father and grandfather, whose warmth touched everyone he met.â
May he rest in peace.
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