Kobe Bryant‘s dad, Joe Bryant, has died at the age of 69. The exact date of his passing is unknown at this time. La Salle University head coach Fran Dunphy told the Philadelphia Inquirer that Joe recently suffered a massive stroke.
La Salle went on to announce Joe’s death on X. Joe’s impressive basketball career began at Bartram High School, continued at La Salle, and ultimately lead to the NBA. Joe then guided Kobe on a similar journey.
“We are saddened to announce the passing of La Salle basketball great Joe Bryant,” La Salle’s post on X began. “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.”
In 1975, fresh off of college graduation, Joe was the first-round draft pick of the Golden State Warriors. Before he ever got to play for them, they sold the rights to Joe to the Philadelphia 76ers. Joe went on to play for the 76ers, the San Diego Clippers, and the Houston Rockets. He continued his career playing ball overseas in Italy and France.
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The Bryant family moved back to the United States when Kobe was 13 years old. Joe remained involved with basketball after retiring from playing. He turned to coaching. Kobe began his impressive high school basketball career at Lower Merion.
Kobe’s tragic death predated his father’s. On January 26, 2020, Kobe and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. Kobe was age 41 when he died.
While Joe and Kobe certainly shared a love of basketball, their relationship was rocky at times. Joe and his wife Pamela clashed with Kobe over money issues and his marriage to Vanessa. Joe leaves behind Pam, his daughters Sharia and Shaya, and his grandchildren.
