Joe Bryant, Kobe Bryant's Dad, Dies From Stroke 4 Years After Son's Fatal Plane Crash

The Bryant family is suffering another tremendous loss. 

Kobe Bryant’s father, Joe Bryant, had died after suffering a stroke, La Salle University head coach Fran Dunphy confirmed, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported July 16. He was 69. 

The Los Angeles Lakers legend’s father was an NBA star himself and played as a forward for the Philadelphia 76ers, the San Diego Clippers—now the Los Angeles Clippers—and the Houston Rockets. He later transitioned into coaching, helming teams overseas as well as the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks from 2005 to 2007. 

At 6 foot 9 inches, Joe—who was also nicknamed “Jelly Bean” for his sweet tooth—was a first round pick for the Golden State Warriors in 1975, before having his rights swiftly sold to the 76ers four months later. After eight seasons in the NBA, he transitioned into overseas ball and primarily played in Italy before settling down with his family in Philadelphia. 

In addition to Kobe, Joe fathered daughters Sharia and Shaya—Kobe’s elder sisters—with his wife Pamela Bryant.

After Kobe rose to fame, his relationship with both Joe and his mother Pamela was somewhat strained leading up to his 2020 death—largely due to Pamela and Joe selling Kobe’s memorabilia without his consent, as reported by the Los Angeles Times in 2012. 

Neither Joe nor Pamela attended Kobe’s 2001 wedding to wife Vanessa Bryant. Joe also never made a public statement following the tragic helicopter crash that took the lives of Kobe—who was 41—and his then-13-year-old daughter Gianna, as well as seven others. 

Still, Kobe—who also shared daughters Natalia, 21, Bianka, 7, and Capri, 5 with Vanessa—once shared valuable advice he received from his father after playing poorly during a tournament early on in his basketball career.

“My father gave me a hug and said, 'Listen, whether you score 0 or you score 60, I'm gonna love you no matter what, '” Kobe recalled on The School of Greatness podcast in 2018. “That is the most important thing that you can say to a child. Because from there, I was like, 'Okay.' That gives me all the confidence in the world to fail. I have the security there.”

As he put it, his father’s words were encouraging throughout his career. 

“I just went to work,” he added. “I just stayed with it. And I kept practicing. Kept practicing. Kept practicing."