Joe Bryant, father of the late Kobe Bryant, has died at 69.
Kobe Bryant’s Father, Joe Bryant – a former NBA player who also coached Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA – has passed away at the age of 69 after suffering a massive stroke, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Joe Bryant’s death comes four and a half years after his son, Kobe, and 13-year-old granddaughter, Gianna, died in a tragic helicopter crash.
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The 6-foot-9 basketball icon averaged 8.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 606 games over eight NBA seasons with the Sixers (1975-79), San Diego Clippers (1979-82) and Houston Rockets (1982-83).
“Joe ‘Jellybean’ Bryant was a local 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,” the Sixers said in a statement.
“Our condolences go out to the Bryant family.”
Joe Bryant later played professionally in Italy (1983-91) and France (1991) before transitioning to coaching. He was the head coach of the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks from 2005-06 and again in 2011, amasaing a record of 40-24 with two playoff appearances. He also coached teams in Japan and Thailand until 2015.
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