Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, the father of the late Basketball Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant, has died, according to his alma mater, La Salle University.
FILE - Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant, left, talks to his father, Joe, as they watch a baseball game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Los Angeles Dodgers in Anaheim, Calif., Sunday, June 21, 2009. Joe Jellybean Bryant has died, his alma mater announced Tuesday, July 16, 2024. Joe Bryant, who spent eight seasons in the NBA with three different franchises, was 69. The Philadelphia Inquirer, citing La Salle coach Fran Dunphy , reported that Joe Bryant recently had a massive stroke.
Joe Bryant was the No. 14 pick by Golden State in the 1975 draft, and the Warriors wound up selling his rights to Philadelphia before the start of his rookie season. He played four years for the 76ers, three for the San Diego Clippers and one for the Houston Rockets, averaging 8.7 points in 606 games.
From there, he embarked on an international career, with stops in France and Italy. The years in Italy shaped Kobe Bryant; it was there that he started to truly develop a love for basketball as well as becoming fluent in Italian. The family moved back to the Philadelphia area around the time that Kobe Bryant was 13, he became a high school star and was drafted four years later.
Joe Bryant had a number of coaching stints, including for teams in Italy, Japan and Thailand, as well as stints with the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks — meaning he was coaching in the same city as his son was playing for a number of years.Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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