Joe Bryant, father of Kobe Bryant, dies at 69

WASHINGTON (TND) — The father of the late Kobe Bryant, Joe Bryant, has passed away, according to La Salle Men’s Basketball. He was 69.

The team said he played for the Explorers from 1973-1975 and was a member of the coaching staff from 1993-1996.

LOS ANGELES, CA – MAY 04: Joe Bryant hugs his son Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers after the Lakers 111-103 victory against the Utah Jazz during Game Two of the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2010 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on May 4, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

“He was a beloved member of the Explorer family and will be dearly missed,” the team wrote on X.

La Salle head coach Fran Dunphy told The Philadelphia Inquirer the elder Bryant, nicknamed “Jellybean,” suffered a massive stroke recently.

His death comes more than four years after his son and granddaughter, Gigi Byrant, died in a California helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020.

FILE – In this July 26, 2018, photo, former Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna watch the U.S. national championships swimming meet in Irvine, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson, File)

Bryant, a 6-foot-9 forward, was picked by his hometown 76ers with the No. 14 overall pick in the 1975 NBA Draft, according to Sporting News.

He went on to spend four seasons with the 76ers, three seasons with the Clippers and a season with the Rockets before finishing his career overseas and retiring in 1992.