LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Joe "Jellybean" Bryant, father of the late Lakers basketball legend Kobe Bryant and a former coach for the Los Angeles Sparks, died Tuesday at age 69.
La Salle University in Philadelphia, where Joe Bryant played from 1973-75, confirmed the news on X, posting, "He was a beloved member of the Explorer family and will be dearly missed."
La Salle basketball coach Fran Dunphy told the Philadelphia Inquirer Bryant had a massive stroke.
The former Philadelphia 76er died four years after his son Kobe and granddaughter Gianna were killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas.
Vanessa Bryant, Kobe's widow, posted a message Tuesday on social media.
"Sending condolences upon hearing the news of my father-in-law's passing," she wrote in an Instagram post. "We hoped things would've been different. Although the times we spent together were few, he was always sweet and nice to be around. Kobe loved him very much. Our prayers go out to family."
Joe Bryant was a first-round draft pick of the Golden State Warriors in the 1975 NBA draft. His rights were sold to the Philadelphia 76ers months later. He spent four seasons with the Sixers before playing for the San Diego Clippers and Houston Rockets.
He played professionally in Europe with teams in Italy and France before retiring in 1992.
He was a coach with the Los Angeles Sparks from 2005 to 2007.
Earvin "Magic" Johnson also posted a tribute on social media, accompanied by photos of Joe Bryant and Kobe.
"I'm devastated to hear about the loss of my friend Joe 'Jellybean' Bryant," Johnson posted on X. "Joe was not only a talented basketball player; he was also a great coach. ... Joe was an exceptional human being with a radiant smile that had the power to brighten any room, and a great husband and father."
Joe Bryant is survived by his wife Pam, his daughters Sharia and Shaya and his grandchildren.
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