Joe ‘Jellybean’ Bryant, former Sixer, father of Kobe Bryant, dies at 69 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, a former NBA player, Philly native and father of the late basketball legend Kobe Bryant, has died, La Salle University confirmed on Tuesday. He was 69 years old. The Philadelphia Inquirer, citing La Salle coach Fran Dunphy, reported that Joe Bryant recently had a massive stroke.
We are saddened to announce the passing of La Salle basketball great Joe Bryant.
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 Men’s Basketball (@LaSalle_MBB) July 16, 2024
Bryant was born in Philadelphia on October 19, 1954. He played for two years for the La Salle University men’s basketball team from 1973 to 1974 and averaged 20.3 points and 11.1 rebounds per game.
Bryant then joined the NBA and played for his hometown Philadelphia 76ers from 1975 through 1979. He was a member of the 1976-77 Sixers team that won the Eastern Conference title.
Joe “Jellybean” Bryant was a 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 1975-79.⁰⁰Our condolences go out to the Bryant family ❤️💙 pic.twitter.com/BdzMoabuty
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) July 16, 2024
Bryant played for the San Diego Clippers from 1979 to 1982 before spending one season with the Houston Rockets. During his NBA career, Bryant, a 6-foot-9 forward, averaged 8.7 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. He went on to play in Italy and France from 1982 to 1992.
Bryant and his family, including future NBA great Kobe Bryant, then moved to Lower Merion, Pennsylvania, where he coached the women’s varsity basketball team at Akiba Hebrew Academy from 1992 to 1993.
Bryant served as an assistant basketball coach at his alma mater from 1993 to 1996, the year his son Kobe entered the NBA draft after playing for Lower Merion High School.
The elder Bryant remained active in basketball from 2003 to 2015, coaching teams in various leagues, including the WNBA, SlamBall and the BJ League in Japan.
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