Former NBA player Joe Bryant, the father of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, has died. He was 69.
La Salle head coach Fran Dunphy told The Philadelphia Inquirer on Tuesday that Bryant passed away after recently suffering a massive stroke. His death comes more than four years after his son and granddaughter, Gigi, tragically died in a helicopter crash in Southern California.
Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers hugs his dad Joe Bryant after their win against the Utah Jazz in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2010 NBA Playoffs at the EnergySolutions Arena on May 8, 2010 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
Seven other people onboard also died in that crash.
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La Salle University, where Joe Bryant played and eventually returned as an assistant coach in 1993, confirmed the news on social media.
Kobe Bryant #8 of the Los Angeles Lakers poses for a photo with his father, Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, after winning the NBA Championship on June 19, 2000 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. (Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
“We are saddened to announce the passing of La Salle basketball great Joe Bryant,” the statement posted to X read. “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.”
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