Kobe Bryant’s father Joe dies at 69, four years after his son’s tragic death in a helicopter crash
The basketball world is in mourning after Joe Bryant, Kobe Bryant’s father, tragically passed away at the age of 69.
Bryant, a 6-foot-1 forward, enjoyed a long football career, playing for the 76ers, Clippers and Rockets.
His death comes four and a half years after his son – then just 41 – and granddaughter Gianna, 13, were killed in a helicopter crash.
He also worked as a coach for decades, serving with teams in the United States, Japan and Thailand.
According to the Philadelphia researcherJoe Bryant, nicknamed “Jellybean” for his sweet tooth, recently suffered a massive stroke.
Joe Bryant (left), father of Kobe Bryant (right), has tragically passed away at the age of 69
Joe Bryant died four and a half years after his son was killed in a fatal helicopter crash
Joe was selected in the first round of the 1975 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors, but a few months later the team sold his rights to Philadelphia.
The forward played four seasons with his hometown team, helping the 76ers reach the NBA Finals in 1977.
He later moved to Europe, where he played for teams in both Italy and France. Bryant began his coaching career with the girls’ basketball team at Akiba Hebrew Academy, a small school near Philadelphia.
However, he was soon on the road again, playing for teams in Las Vegas, Boston, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Bangkok.
According to the Inquirer, the relationship between Joe and his son Kobe became strained as the Lakers legend built a career in the NBA Hall of Fame.
As a player, Bryant, a 6-foot-1 forward, played for the 76ers, Clippers and Rockets
In 2016, Kobe Bryant revealed that he hadn’t spoken to his parents in nearly three years
He has never spoken publicly about his son’s death and earlier this year, the 2000 NBA title ring that Kobe gave to “Jellybean” was auctioned for $927,000.
In 2016, the Lakers icon revealed that he hadn’t spoken to his parents for nearly three years after they tried to auction off his high school memorabilia without permission.
“Our relationship sucks,” he said ESPN“I say (to them), ‘I’m going to buy you a really nice house,’ and the answer is, ‘That’s not good enough’… so you sell my stuff?’
Kobe and his daughter Gianna were killed along with seven others when their helicopter crashed in Calabasas, California in January 2020.
They had flown from John Wayne Airport, near his Newport Beach home, and were en route to Bryant’s Mamba Basketball Academy in Thousand Oaks when they crashed into a hill.
