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Joe Bryant, Kobe’s father, dead at age 69

Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, a former NBA player and father of Basketball Hall of Fame guard Kobe Bryant, has died at the age of 69, La Salle University announced on Tuesday.

Bryant played at the Philadelphia school from 1973-1975 and coached the Explorers from 1993-96 after a career that saw him play from 1975-1983 for the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, then-San Diego Clippers and Houston Rockets as well as in Europe.

“We are saddened to announce the passing of La Salle basketball great Joe Bryant,” the school said in a statement. “He was a beloved member of the Explorer family and will be dearly missed.”

Bryant, a forward, played in Italy from 1983-1991 before closing his playing days with French side Mulhouse in 1991.

For his NBA career, Bryant averaged 8.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists a game.

As a head coach, Joe Bryant went 40-24 over parts of three seasons with the Women’s NBA Los Angeles Sparks. He also coached in Asia on clubs in Tokyo, Hokkaido, Bangkok and Fukuoka. 

Kobe Bryant, born while his father was playing for the 76ers, was a five-time NBA champion, two-time Olympic gold medal winner and the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player who spent his entire NBA career from 1996-2016 with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Lakers legend Bryant, an 18-time NBA All-Star guard, was killed in a 2020 helicopter crash at age 41.

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