Kobe Bryant’s father Joe dies – dead at 69

Joe Bryant, the father of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, has died.

La Salle head coach Fran Dunphy told Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer on Tuesday that Bryant had recently suffered a massive stroke. He was 69.

Like his late son, Joe Bryant enjoyed a successful professional basketball career. He was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in the first round in 1975. The Warriors sold Bryant’s rights to his hometown Philadelphia 76ers four months later, and Bryant spent four seasons in Philly. The former La Salle star also played for the San Diego Clippers and Houston Rockets across eight NBA seasons.

Following his NBA career, Bryant enjoyed great success playing professionally in Europe. The elder Bryant played mostly in Italy, where Kobe spent a significant portion of his childhood before the family moved back to Philadelphia.

Joe also spent several years as a coach after he retired from playing. He coached the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks from 2005-2007.

Joe and Kobe’s mother, Pam, had a complicated relationship with the Los Angeles Lakers star throughout the years. Some of Kobe’s issues with his parents stemmed from his decision to marry his wife Vanessa at such a young age. The Hall of Famer reconciled with his parents after the birth of his first daughter, Natalia, but the three went through a public feud in 2013 over some memorabilia.

There were indications that Kobe had become closer with his parents in the years leading up to Kobe’s death.

Kobe, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven other people died in a helicopter crash in January 2020.

In addition to Kobe, Joe and Pam Bryant shared two other children together — Kobe’s older sisters Sharia and Shaya.