It has been announced that Joe Bryant, who was a basketball superstar in his own right at Bartram High School, at La Salle, and for over eight seasons in the NBA, has passed away. Joe Bryant was the father of Kobe Bryant.
He was 69 years old.
Fran Dunphy, the head coach of La Salle, announced on Tuesday that Bryant had gone through a severe stroke not too long ago. It has been four and a half years after the fatal helicopter disaster that took place on January 26, 2020, which claimed the lives of his son and his granddaughter Gigi, along with seven other individuals.
A 6-foot-9 forward with a memorable nickname — “Jellybean,” for his fondness of the candy — and an array of skills that presaged the arrival of players such as Magic Johnson and LeBron James, Bryant was the Public League Player of the Year in 1972. After receiving the award, he went on to average more than 20 points and 11 rebounds over the course of two seasons at La Salle.
In 1975, the Golden State Warriors selected him in the first round of the draft. Less than four months later, the Warriors sold his rights to the Philadelphia 76ers. During his four seasons with the Sixers, Bryant was a member of the Sixers’ 1976–1977 team that made it all the way to the NBA Finals. Bryant played both seasons with his hometown team.
Bryant had better individual success playing professionally in Europe, particularly in Italy, after the 1982–1983 season, during which he played for the Houston Rockets. Prior to his family moving back to the Philadelphia region and residing in Wynnewood, Bryant had been playing for the Rockets.
It was during Kobe’s childhood and his illustrious career at Lower Merion High School that he and his father had developed an especially strong relationship. However, after Kobe joined the Los Angeles Lakers and began his career in the National Basketball Association (NBA), which would eventually lead to him being inducted into the Hall of Fame, their connection got strained over time. This was because Kobe wanted more freedom and independence from his family. There was no public statement made by Joe Bryant regarding the passing of his son.
