Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, father of the late NBA legend Kobe Bryant and former Philadelphia 76ers star, has died at 69. “I am heartbroken by the sudden loss of my uncle,” said John Cox, Bryant’s nephew. “He was a basketball icon in Philadelphia and someone I admired.”
Bryant, a first-round draft pick by the Golden State Warriors in 1975, joined the Sixers months later, spending four seasons with his hometown team. “Joe ‘Jellybean’ Bryant was a local basketball icon,” the Sixers wrote on social media. “Our condolences go out to the Bryant family.”
The 6-foot-9 forward shined at John Bartram High School and La Salle University. “We had good times in high school,” said John “Flip” Groce, Bryant’s high school teammate. “The gym was full all the time, and we played well.”
Groce fondly recalled their friendship and Bryant’s legendary high school performance, scoring 73 points in a game without a three-point line. Bryant averaged 20.3 points and 11.4 rebounds during two seasons at La Salle.
He joined La Salle’s coaching staff from 1993 to 1996, leaving after Kobe Bryant entered the NBA. Bryant played for the Sixers, San Diego Clippers, and Houston Rockets from 1975 to 1982 before continuing his career overseas.
Returning to coaching in 2003, Bryant coached the Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA. “Joe was extremely proud and very close to his son,” Groce said. “He was definitely in the top five to 10 of the greatest athletes to come out of Philadelphia.”
