Kobe Bryant’s Father Joe Dead at 69

Joe Bryant, father of NBA great Kobe Bryant, has died, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. He was 69.

La Salle University head coach Fran Dunphy told the paper that Joe recently suffered a massive stroke.

Bryant was a 6’9” forward who played basketball at La Salle University in Philadelphia before moving on to the NBA. Joe played for the Philadelphia 76ers, San Diego Clippers and Houston Rockets, and later continued his basketball career in Italy and France.

The La Salle University men’s basketball team paid tribute on X, with the message, “We are saddened to announce the passing of La Salle basketball great Joe Bryant.”

The post continued, “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.”

Following his time overseas, Joe and his family returned to the States, where Kobe gained recognition as a high school basketball player, and went on to join the Los Angeles Lakers and become known as the greatest player of all time.

Kobe, 41, and his daughter Gianna, 13, died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, in 2020.

Kobe's widow Vanessa Bryant shared on Instagram Stories, "Sending our condolences upon hearing the news of my father in law’s passing. 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 is survived by his wife Pam and Kobe’s sisters Sharia and Shaya.