Joe 'Jellybean' Bryant, Longtime NBA Vet and Father to Kobe Bryant, Dead at 69

Journeyman NBA power forward Joe "Jellybean" Bryant, father of Hall of Fame Los Angeles Lakers superstar shooting guard Kobe Bryant, has passed away at the far-too-young age of 69, reports Mike Sielski of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Joe Bryant's passing is just the latest sad early death in the Bryant family this decade. Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna (Joe's granddaughter), both passed away in a tragic helicopter accident in January 2020, along with seven other souls. Kobe was 41, Gianna just 13.

Sielski reports that Fran Dunphy, head coach at Bryant's alma matter La Salle University, revealed that Bryant had incurred a "massive stroke" recently that preceded his death.

A Philadelphia native, Joe Bryant suited up for his hometown La Salle Explorers for two seasons, from 1973-75. The 6-foot-9 power forward then entered the 1975 NBA Draft, where he was selected with the No. 14 pick by the Philadelphia 76ers, allowing him to stay local for a while. In 1979, he was traded to the then-San Diego Clippers, where he logged probably his most memorable in-game highlight, an epic dunk against Hall of Fame Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the 1979-80 season opener. After three seasons with that club, he linked up with the Houston Rockets in 1982-83.