Former Nba Player And Wnba Head Coach

Joe "Jellybean" Bryant, Father of Kobe Bryant, Dies at 69

Former NBA Player and WNBA Head Coach

Joe "Jellybean" Bryant, the father of late NBA legend Kobe Bryant, has died at 69 years old. According to his college alma mater, La Salle, Bryant died of a heart attack.

A Life in Basketball

Joe Bryant played eight seasons in the NBA for the Philadelphia 76ers and San Diego Clippers. After his NBA career, he became a coach, leading the Los Angeles Sparks to the WNBA championship in 2001. He was also an assistant coach for the Sparks from 2011 to 2014.

Bryant's son, Kobe, became one of the greatest basketball players of all time, winning five NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe tragically died in a helicopter crash in 2020.