Joe Bryant, Kobe Bryant's Dad And 76ers Great, Dies At 69: Reports

Joe Bryant, the former Philadelphia 76ers forward and father of Kobe Bryant, died Tuesday, July 16, the New York Times reports. He was 69 years old.

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Mac Bullock

07/16/2024 2:11 p.m.

Nicknamed "Jellybean," Bryant was a Philadelphia native and La Salle University alumnus who spent four years with the Sixers from 1975 to 1979, including their 1977 championship bid.

The university's athletic department confirmed his death to the Times. LaSalle head coach Fran Dunphy told the Philadelphia Inquirer that Bryant died after suffering a "massive stroke."

Both his alma mater and the 76ers posted tributes in Bryant's memory on Tuesday.

After ending his NBA career with the Houston Rockets in 1983, Bryant coached women's basketball at Akiba Hebrew Academy in Bryn Mawr and served as an assistant coach for the men's program at La Salle.

He coached several international teams before retiring in 2015.

Bryant's death comes over four years after his son Kobe and granddaughter Gianna were killed in a Los Angeles helicopter crash.

Click here to read his obituary from the Philadelphia Inquirer.

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