Vanessa Bryant is mourning the death of Kobe’s Dad, Joe Bryant, who passed away on Tuesday afternoon at the age of 69.
LaSalle head coach Fran Dunphy told The Philadelphia Inquirer Tuesday that he had recently suffered from a massive stroke.
Rest in Peace, Joe “Jellybean” Bryant 💔 pic.twitter.com/zA1XsnWcqi
— Basketball Forever (@bballforever_) July 17, 2024
“We are saddened to announce the passing of La Salle basketball great Joe Bryant,” the LaSalle men’s basketball team said in a post.
Vanessa paid tribute to her father-in-law on her Instagram story.
“Sending our condolences upon hearing the news of my father-in-law’s passing,” she wrote. “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.”
Vanessa’s tribute was no doubt hinting at the broken relationship between Kobe and his parents, which became strained during his Hall of Fame career with the Lakers.
Kobe and his father were apparently close during Kobe’s playing days at Lower Merion High School.
Kobe’s father played for the Explorers from 1973-75 and was on the LaSalle coaching staff from 1993-96.
The eldest Bryant also played in the NBA and was nicknamed “Jellybean”.
He was drafted as the 14th overall pick by the Warriors in the 1975 draft.
But he never actually played for Golden State, since the franchise sold his draft rights to his hometown Philadelphia.
He played eight NBA seasons and 606 career games for the 76ers, the then-San Diego Clippers and the Rockets.
Bryant’s death comes four and a half years after Kobe and his granddaughter, Gigi tragically died in a helicopter crash.
In the days following the crash, it was reported that Kobe was trying to repair his fractured relationship with both of his parents.
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