Former NBA player and WNBA head coach Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, father of the late Kobe Bryant, has died at 69, The Philadelphia Inquirer announced Tuesday.
Bryant recently suffered a massive stroke, according to the newspaper.
A Philadelphia native who starred there collegiately at La Salle, Bryant was a first-round pick (14th overall) by the Golden State Warriors in 1975 and was then sold to the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 8.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 606 games over eight NBA seasons with the Sixers (1975-79), San Diego Clippers (1979-82) and Houston Rockets (1982-83).
Bryant later played professionally in Italy (1983-91) and France (1991) before transitioning to coaching. He was the head coach of the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks from 2005-06 and again in 2011, compiling a record of 40-24 with two playoff appearances. He also coached teams in Japan and Thailand until 2015.
His son, Kobe, became a Hall of Fame player with the Los Angeles Lakers who died tragically in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020 at the age of 41. Joe Bryant’s granddaughter, Gianna, 13, also died in the accident.
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