The NBA world is mourning the loss of Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, the father of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. Joe passed away on Tuesday at the age of 69 after a career in the NBA.
Despite Joe’s patchy relationship with Vanessa Bryant and Kobe, she paid respect to Joe after his passing with a lengthy social media post:
https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1813274252260614189
“Sending our condolences upon hearing the news of my father in law’s passing. 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.”
It’s a classy gesture from Vanessa Bryant, especially after the strained relationship they had with one another. Joe reportedly did not approve of Kobe marrying the younger Vanessa, and he decided not to attend their wedding. Here’s what Chris Ballard of Sports Illustrated wrote about the relationship back in 2012:
“When Kobe and Vanessa got married the following year, Joe and Pam didn’t attend the wedding; when the Lakers played three games in Philadelphia during the 2001 NBA Finals, Joe was nowhere to be found.
“When, at the end of that series, the Lakers triumphed and Kobe was spotted holding the trophy in the shower and crying, everyone assumed it was out of joy, or relief. But he later told the Times, ‘That was about my dad.’”
Despite all of the drama between the two, Vanessa admits the times they spent with one another were good ones.
A look at the career of Joe Bryant
Joe Bryant was a first-round draft choice by the Golden State Warriors in 1975 and was the 14th overall pick that year. However, he never played for Golden State. Instead, he played the first four seasons of his NBA career with the Philadelphia 76ers.
In all, Joe Bryant played eight NBA campaigns before going overseas to play professional basketball. He then became a coach for over 20 years, including stints with the Los Angeles Sparks and some time as a high school coach as well.
Joe Bryant will be remembered by many, and prayers go out to the Bryant family after the tragic loss.
Matt Wadleigh is the lead NCAA Football and NCAA Basketball editor for ClutchPoints, and he also specializes in MLB and NFL coverage. Born and raised in Oceanside, Matt went to Fresno State before covering sports for FanSided, Sportscasting, and Trojans Wire.
