Former pro basketball player Joe 'Jellybean' Bryant, dad of Kobe, dies at 69
Longtime pro basketball player Joe "Jellybean" Bryant, whose long European career had a profound influence on his Hall of Fame son, Kobe, has died, officials said Tuesday.
Longtime pro basketball player Joe "Jellybean" Bryant, whose long European career had a profound influence on his Hall of Fame son, Kobe, has died, officials said Tuesday.
He was 69.
"We are saddened to announce the passing of La Salle basketball great Joe Bryant," said a statement by La Salle University, where he played from 1973 to 1975 and was on the coaching staff from 1993 to 1996. "He was a beloved member of the Explorer family and will be dearly missed."
Joe Bryant played in eight NBA seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, the San Diego Clippers and the Houston Rockets from 1975 to 1983.
Joe Bryant in 1970.NBAE via Getty ImagesThe Sixers called Bryant a Philly 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."
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