Longtime pro basketball player Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, whose long European career had a profound influence on his Hall of Fame son, Kobe, has died, officials said Tuesday.
He was 69.
“We are saddened to announce the passing of La Salle basketball great Joe Bryant,” said a statement by La Salle University, where he played from 1973 to 1975 and was on the coaching staff from 1993 to 1996. “He was a beloved member of the Explorer family and will be dearly missed.”
Joe Bryant played in eight NBA seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, the San Diego Clippers and the Houston Rockets from 1975 to 1983.
The Sixers called Bryant a Philly 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.”
“Our condolences go out to the Bryant family,” the team added.
After Bryant left the NBA, he spent the next eight seasons playing for professional teams in France and Italy.
Kobe Bryant, born in 1978, spent much of his childhood in Italy, where he learned multiple languages and grew fond of Italian culture.
Kobe Bryant — whose middle name is Bean, in honor of his father’s nickname — went on to become the fourth-leading scorer in NBA history and is widely considered one of the game’s greatest players.
Kobe Bryant, 41, died in a helicopter crash near Los Angeles on Jan. 26, 2020. His daughter Gianna and seven other people also died.
At his posthumous Hall of Fame enshrinement, his wife, Vanessa Bryant, shouted out her in-laws.
“I invited my mother- and father-in-law to tonight’s enshrinement to thank them for bringing one of the most amazing human beings into this world,” she said. “Pam and Joe, thank you for raising Kobe to be exceptional.”
She shared her condolences Tuesday on Instagram and said “we hoped things would’ve been different.”
“Although the times we spent together were few, he was always sweet and nice to be around,” she said. “Kobe loved him very much. Our prayers go out to family.”
