As of Tuesday morning, the official cause of Bryant’s death had not been made public. La Salle University, where Bryant played and coached, issued a statement expressing that he was a cherished member of the Explorer community and will be profoundly missed.
Fran Dunphy, the head coach of La Salle and a prominent figure in Philadelphia basketball, informed the Philadelphia Inquirer that Bryant had recently experienced a significant stroke.
Since the tragic helicopter accident that claimed Kobe Bryant’s life over four years ago, Joe Bryant has made few public appearances. In 2010, the iconic Los Angeles Lakers player remarked to ESPN that Joe possessed “a great basketball mind” and had instilled in him from a young age the principles of understanding the game, preparing for it, and executing strategies effectively.
In January 2020, a helicopter crash during a trip to a basketball event in Calabasas, California, resulted in the deaths of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others. Approximately a month after the loss of Kobe and Gianna, Joe and Pam Bryant, who had been married for nearly fifty years, attended the memorial service in Los Angeles, sitting in the front row despite their sometimes strained relationship with Kobe.
On Tuesday, Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s widow, shared her condolences on her Instagram story, stating, “Sending our condolences upon hearing the news of my father-in-law’s passing. We hoped things would’ve been different. Although the times we spent together were few, he was always sweet and nice to be around. Kobe loved him very much.”
Joe Bryant distinguished himself as a player at La Salle, averaging 20.8 points per game during his two seasons with the Explorers. He went on to have a professional career both in the United States and internationally. The Golden State Warriors selected him in the first round of the 1975 NBA Draft, although he was later acquired by the Philadelphia 76ers.
Joe “Jellybean” Bryant was a celebrated figure in the basketball community, whose impact on the sport extended beyond his time at Bartram High School, La Salle University, and his initial four seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers from 1975 to 1979, as stated by the team. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to the Bryant family.”
Doug Young, a former teammate of Kobe Bryant, lauded Joe as the quintessential “role model.”
“Joe served as our junior varsity coach at Lower Merion, and I could not have wished for a more encouraging mentor, educator, and role model,” Young remarked to ESPN. “It is hard to express the extent of his influence on me and my teammates. He made the game enjoyable and inspired us all to improve; he had faith in us. I will always remember his contagious smile, his warm embraces, and the remarkable connection he had with Kobe. Growing up in Lower Merion, there was no family we admired more than the Bryants, and that admiration began with Joe.”
Standing at 6 feet 9 inches, Bryant averaged 8.7 points and 4.0 rebounds over 606 career games while playing for the Sixers, Clippers, and Rockets during parts of eight NBA seasons. He was a member of the 76ers during the 1976-77 season, a team that fell short in the NBA Finals against the Trail Blazers.
In 1992, after more than a decade of playing overseas in France and Italy, Bryant transitioned into coaching. He held various coaching roles at both professional and collegiate levels in the United States, Japan, and Thailand, including a tenure as head coach of the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks for parts of three seasons.
Arn Tellem, vice chairman of the Pistons and former agent for Kobe Bryant, expressed profound sorrow over Joe “Jellybean” Bryant’s passing, joining the basketball community in honoring a true Philadelphia basketball legend. “Our friendship paved the way for me to represent Kobe as he entered the NBA, a cherished memory. Joe was a loving husband, father, and grandfather, whose kindness left a lasting impression on everyone he encountered.”
This story was also reported by the Associated Press and ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
