Joe Bryant, an eight-year NBA veteran and the father of late Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant, died Tuesday at the age of 69, the Philadelphia Inquirer confirmed.
Bryant had recently suffered a massive stroke, La Salle head coach Fran Dunphy told the Philadelphia Inquirer. A native of Philadelphia, Bryant played collegiately at La Salle and later served as an assistant coach for the Explorers basketball team in the 1990s.
"We are saddened to announce the passing of La Salle basketball great Joe Bryant," the program said Tuesday. "He was a beloved member of the Explorer family and will be dearly missed."
A legend in his own right, Bryant was ahead of his time in many ways as a player and coach. He was given the nickname "Jellybean" for his affinity for the sweet and was selected by his hometown 76ers with the No. 14 overall pick in the 1975 NBA Draft.
Bryant spent four seasons with the 76ers, three seasons with the Clippers and a season with the Rockets before finishing his career in Italy and France, retiring in 1992.
The 76ers offered the following statement on Bryant's passing:
Joe “Jellybean” Bryant was a local 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 1975-79.⁰⁰Our condolences go out to the Bryant family ❤️💙 pic.twitter.com/BdzMoabuty
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) July 16, 2024
A 6-9 forward, Bryant averaged 8.7 points over 606 career NBA games, totaling 5,252 points in his career. At the time of his death, Joe and Kobe Bryant stand as the highest-scoring father-son duo in NBA history.
As he transitioned to life post-retirement, Bryant immediately got into coaching, landing an assistant coaching job at La Salle in 1993. He resigned in 1996 when Kobe declared for the NBA Draft.
Among the many other stops in Bryant's coaching career, the most notable were his two stints as head coach of the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks. As the Sparks head coach, Bryant coached Lisa Leslie from 2005 to 2006 and spent time during the 2011 season coaching Candace Parker.
Lakers legend Magic Johnson is among many in the basketball world to share condolences and mourn the loss of Bryant.
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… pic.twitter.com/BOZDg35YYi
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) July 16, 2024
MORE: A priceless gift from Kobe Bryant
Joe Bryant NBA career stats
- 606 games
- 8.7 points per game
- 4.0 rebounds per game
- 1.7 assists per game
- 0.9 steals per game
- 0.3 blocks per game
- 45.0 percent field goal shooting
- 74.3 percent free throw shooting
Joe Bryant 'Jellybean' nickname, explained
There are different stories about the origin of Bryant's "Jellybean" nickname.
While most indicate that Bryant earned the nickname because of his love for the candy, a 2011 story from the Los Angeles Times offers this story on the nickname:
Growing up in Philadelphia, a high school teammate nicknamed him “Jellybean” for his variety of moves despite being so big. “It must be jelly because jam don’t shake like that,” Bryant recalls hearing, quoting the hit Glenn Miller song.
As the above story would indicate, Bryant'sa unique versatility at 6-9 resulted in the Jellybean nickname. Notably, Kobe Bryant's middle name is Bean, a direct tie in to his father's Jellybean moniker.
This story will be updated.
