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Joe Bryant has died at the age of 69.
The basketball player and coach was also known as the father of tragic NBA star Kobe Bryant – who died in a helicopter alongside his 13-year-old daughter Gianna aged just 41 in 2020 – but passed away himself on Tuesday (16.07.24) after suffering a “massive stroke”, La Salle head coach Fran Dunphy confirmed to The Inquirer.
After graduating from university, Joe joined the Philadelphia 76ers, where he played for four seasons.
He went on to play for the San Diego Clippers until 1982, then for the Houston Rockets until 1983, and then enjoyed a decade in Europe before retiring as a player.
From his high school days, he garnered the nickname Jellybean, which is said to have come from his versatile movement on the court despite his big size.
In the early 1990s, Joe turned to a career in coaching and headed up the Akiba Hebrew Academy, his alma mater of the La Salle Explorers, the Diablos, the Los Angeles Sparks, and then went international before fully retiring in 2015.
Joe is survived by his wife Pam Cox – who he tied the knot with in 1975 – and their two daughters Sharia and Shaya.
La Salle wrote in a post on X: “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.”
Following his death, fellow NBA star Magic Johnson – who is often regarded as the greatest point guard of all time – was quick to pay tribute.
He wrote on X: “I’m devastated to hear about the loss of my friend Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, the father of Kobe Bryant. Joe was not only a talented basketball player; he was also a great coach.
“A lot of people don’t know that he coached the LA Sparks in 2005, 2006, and 2011! Joe was an exceptional human being with a radiant smile that had the power to brighten any room, and a great husband and father. Cookie and I are praying for his wife Pam, daughters Sharia and Shaya, and the rest of the Bryant family, friends, and all those who loved Joe.”
Just two years before his tragic death, Kobe recalled that his father had given him all the advice he needed to become a successful basketball player himself.
Speaking on ‘The School of Greatness’ podcast, he said: “My father gave me a hug and said, ‘Listen, whether you score 0 or you score 60, I’m gonna love you no matter what.
“That is the most important thing that you can say to a child. Because from there, I was like, ‘Okay.’ That gives me all the confidence in the world to fail. I have the security there.”
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