Joe \u201cJellybean\u201d Bryant, the father of Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant and a former NBA player, has passed away at the age of sixty-nine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As of Tuesday morning, no official cause of death has been disclosed. La Salle University, where<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bryant played and later coached, released a statement expressing that he<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cwas a beloved member of the Explorer family and will be dearly missed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fran Dunphy, La Salle\u2019s head coach and a long-time basketball coach in the Philadelphia area,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
told the Philadelphia Inquirer that Bryant had recently suffered a severe stroke.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Since the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant in a helicopter accident over four years ago,<\/p>\n\n\n\n Joe Bryant had rarely made public appearances. In 2010, Kobe praised his father\u2019s basketball acumen in an<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n ESPN interview, saying Joe had taught him \u201cfrom an early age how to view the game, how to prepare for the game and how to execute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n