Kobe Bryant’s dad Joe dies aged 69

Joe Bryant, the father of NBA Hall of Famer, Kobe Bryant , has died.

He was 69 years old.

Bryant recently suffered a massive stroke, La Salle head coach Fran Dunphy said Tuesday, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Bryant’s death comes four and a half years after his 41-year-old son Kobe and his 13-year-old granddaughter Gianna died in a tragic  helicopter crash, along with seven others, on January 26, 2020 in in Calabasas , California .

Bryant, who was known as “Jellybean” for his love of sweets, was a first-round draft pick for the Golden State Warriors in 1975. He then ended up back in his hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to play for the Sixers.

He was married to Pam Cox in 1975 and they welcomed their son, Kobe, in 1978.

Bryant spent four seasons with the Sixers before playing for the San Diego Clippers for three seasons and then went on to play with the Houston Rockets.

In 1983, Bryant played in Italy and France before he retired in 1992.

Bryant later began his coaching career with the Los Angeles Sparks from 2005 to 2007.

While Bryant and his son Kobe were close during his high school years, once Kobe joined the Los Angeles Lakers and began what would be his Hall of Fame career in the NBA, their relationship became strained.

Bryant had made no public comment about his son’s death.