Joe Bryant, the father of later basketball Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant, died on Tuesday. His alma mater announced the news through social media.
Bryant spent eight seasons in the NBA with three different franchises in his career. He died at the age of 69. The Philadelphia Inquirer cited the La Salle coach Fran Dunphy and reported that Joe suffered a massive heart stroke recently.
Here is what the school said in the news release. “We are saddened to announce the passing of La Salle basketball great Joe Bryant. Joe played for the Explorers from 1973-75 and was a member of our coaching staff from 1993-96. He was a beloved member of the Explorer family and will be dearly missed.”
A few years ago, Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others died in a terrible helicopter crash. In January 2020 in Calabasas, California, when the group was making its way to a basketball tournament, the helicopter suffered some mechanical failure, leading to the crash.
As for Joe Bryant, he was picked up by the Golden State in the 1975 draft as the no. 14 pick. However, they sold his rights to Philadelphia before the start of the season. For four years he played for the 76ers and for three years he was with the San Diego Clippers and one for the Houston Rockets. He played 606 games in his career and averaged 8.7 points.
He also held several coaching positions for international teams and some other clubs.