NBA player Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, father of Kobe Bryant, died on Tuesday at 69.
The sports department of La Salle University in Philadelphia, where Joe played basketball, verified Joe’s death to the New York Times.
The reason and location of his death were not disclosed.
Former NBA player and Kobe Bryant’s father Joe dies at 69
Joe, a six-foot-nine forward, averaged 20 points and 11 rebounds at La Salle University and Bartram High School.
He was drafted 14th overall by the Golden State Warriors in 1975 after winning the 1972 Public League Player of the Year. Within four months of his debut, the Philadelphia 76ers bought his rights.
Joe did better in Italy due to less games and more time off. He averaged 30 points or more a game, compared to 8.7 in the NBA.
“I’ve become a family man,” he remarked. “In the United States, I was more of a traveling man.”
He coached the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women’s NBA and other Asian teams.
Joe, his wife Pamela Cox, Kobe, Sharia, and Shaya returned to Philadelphia following his playing career.
For years, Joe and his wife were separated from Kobe, who died at 41 in a helicopter crash near Los Angeles in 2020 with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna.
Separated daughter-in-law of Joe Vanessa Bryant posted a poignant Instagram story about his death: “Sending our condolences. We wanted different results.
“Despite our little interactions, he was always kind. Kobe adored him. Our thoughts are with family.”
