{"id":16308,"date":"2025-11-25T17:42:20","date_gmt":"2025-11-25T17:42:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/negatius.biz\/?p=16308"},"modified":"2025-11-25T17:42:20","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T17:42:20","slug":"sad-news-for-the-bryant-family-our-thoughts-are-with-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/negatius.biz\/?p=16308","title":{"rendered":"Sad News for the Bryant Family \u2013 Our Thoughts Are With Them"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-start=\"139\" data-end=\"834\">Joe \u201cJellybean\u201d Bryant, a respected figure in basketball history and father of the late Kobe Bryant, passed away at the age of 69, leaving behind a powerful legacy at <strong data-start=\"306\" data-end=\"329\">La Salle University<\/strong> and beyond. La Salle mourned him as a \u201cbeloved member of the Explorer family,\u201d noting both his days as a standout player and his later contributions as a coach. \u00a0His death followed a <strong data-start=\"550\" data-end=\"568\">massive stroke<\/strong>, confirmed by his former coach, Fran Dunphy.  The news has resonated deeply in Philadelphia and the broader basketball world, where he is remembered not just for his playing skills, but for his warmth, mentorship, and character.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"836\" data-end=\"1523\">Bryant\u2019s basketball journey began in his hometown of Philadelphia, where he played high school ball at Bartram High School.  He then committed to <strong data-start=\"1019\" data-end=\"1042\">La Salle University<\/strong>, starring for the Explorers from 1973 to 1975. During his two seasons in college, he averaged over 20 points and 11 rebounds per game \u2014 a performance that caught the attention of NBA scouts and set the stage for his professional career.  His flair on the court and nimble footwork earned him the nickname \u201cJellybean,\u201d a nod both to his candy-loving personality and his smooth, unpredictable style of play.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1525\" data-end=\"2116\">In the <strong data-start=\"1532\" data-end=\"1550\">1975 NBA Draft<\/strong>, Bryant was selected 14th overall by the Golden State Warriors.  However, before he ever suited up for Golden State, his rights were sold to his hometown team: the <strong data-start=\"1752\" data-end=\"1774\">Philadelphia 76ers<\/strong>. \u00a0He played eight seasons in the NBA \u2014 four with the 76ers, followed by stints with the San Diego Clippers and Houston Rockets. \u00a0Over those 606 games, he averaged <strong data-start=\"2012\" data-end=\"2026\">8.7 points<\/strong>, <strong data-start=\"2028\" data-end=\"2044\">4.0 rebounds<\/strong>, and <strong data-start=\"2050\" data-end=\"2065\">1.7 assists<\/strong> per contest.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2118\" data-end=\"2590\">After his NBA career, Bryant continued playing professionally overseas, particularly in <strong data-start=\"2206\" data-end=\"2226\">Italy and France<\/strong>, where he spent several years.  His time in Europe was not just about extending his playing career \u2014 it also shaped his family\u2019s life. His son, Kobe, spent part of his youth in Italy, absorbing both the game and the culture, which had a lasting influence on his development as a player.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2592\" data-end=\"3202\">Bryant later transitioned into coaching, taking roles in several countries and leagues. He coached in <strong data-start=\"2694\" data-end=\"2724\">Italy, Japan, and Thailand<\/strong>, and returned stateside to lead the WNBA\u2019s <strong data-start=\"2768\" data-end=\"2790\">Los Angeles Sparks<\/strong> during parts of the 2005, 2006, and 2011 seasons.  His international and WNBA coaching career underscored his global love for the game, as well as his commitment to mentoring younger generations of players. At La Salle, he returned to his alma mater from 1993 to 1996 as an assistant coach, helping guide the next wave of Explorers.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3204\" data-end=\"3875\">His death has prompted an outpouring of respect and remembrance. La Salle\u2019s men\u2019s basketball program named him among its \u201cMourning Legends\u201d in its 2024\u201325 season notes. <span class=\"\" data-state=\"closed\"><span class=\"ms-1 inline-flex max-w-full items-center relative top-[-0.094rem] animate-[show_150ms_ease-in]\" data-testid=\"webpage-citation-pill\"><a class=\"flex h-4.5 overflow-hidden rounded-xl px-2 text-[9px] font-medium transition-colors duration-150 ease-in-out text-token-text-secondary! bg-[#F4F4F4]! dark:bg-[#303030]!\" href=\"https:\/\/s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/sidearm.nextgen.sites\/lasalle.sidearmsports.com\/documents\/2024\/11\/11\/2024-25_La_Salle_MBB_Game_1_Notes_vs._American.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"relative start-0 bottom-0 flex h-full w-full items-center\"><span class=\"flex h-4 w-full items-center justify-between overflow-hidden\"><span class=\"max-w-[15ch] grow truncate overflow-hidden text-center\">.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span> Former teammates, friends, and basketball icons have shared their grief \u2014 including <strong data-start=\"3497\" data-end=\"3514\">Magic Johnson<\/strong>, who praised Bryant\u2019s radiant smile, coaching skill, and the deeply human warmth he brought to every interaction.  Vanessa Bryant, Kobe\u2019s widow, expressed sorrow over how their relationship evolved, calling him \u201csweet and nice to be around\u201d and reaffirming how much Kobe loved him.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Joe \u201cJellybean\u201d Bryant, a respected figure in basketball history and father of the late Kobe Bryant, passed away at the age of 69, leaving behind a powerful&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16309,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16308","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Sad News for the Bryant Family \u2013 Our Thoughts Are With Them - magazine24<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/negatius.biz\/?p=16308\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sad News for the Bryant Family \u2013 Our Thoughts Are With Them - 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