Joe “Jellybean” Bryant has died at 69.
The former NBA player and overseas pro produced one of the greatest players to ever grace a court with son Kobe Bryant. Joe played 606 games in the NBA for the 76ers, Clippers and Rockets. He played for eight seasons in Italy. His pro stints allowed Kobe to grow up and play in Philadelphia and Italy. Joe went on to coach for several seasons after his playing years at his alma mater of La Salle University in Philadelphia and in places around the world, like Thailand.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Joe recently suffered a massive heart attack. His death comes four and a half years after his son Kobe and granddaughter Gigi died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020.
The star forward’s “Jellybean” nickname came from his love of candy. He spent four seasons with his hometown Philadelphia 76ers, and came off the bench on the 1976-77 team that advanced to the NBA Finals. Kobe’s “Bean” nickname is a direct connection to his father’s nickname.
Kobe and Joe were extremely close as the NBA legend grew up. In an interview on “The School of Greatness” podcast, Kobe once told a story he’d never forget from Joe in his first summer playing basketball.
“I don’t score one point the entire summer,” Kobe said. “Not one. Because I was terrible. That happened. I scored not a free throw, nothing, not a lucky shot, not a breakaway layup. Zero points. I remember crying about it and being upset about it. And 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.’ 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.”
Unfortunately, the pair’s relationship reportedly became strained after Joe allegedly didn’t approve of Kobe’s relationship with his widowed wife, Vanessa. Joe didn’t make a public comment on Kobe’s death.
