Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, the father of longtime Lakers star and Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant, has passed away at age 69, according to Mike Sielski of The Philadelphia Inquirer, who says the former NBA forward recently suffered a massive stroke.
Bryant was the No. 14 overall pick in the 1975 draft and spent the next eight seasons in the league, appearing in 606 total regular season games for the Sixers, Clippers, and Rockets.
He averaged 8.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 21.2 minutes per contest over the course of his NBA career before spending another eight seasons in Italy.
A former star at La Salle University, Bryant spent several years as an assistant coach at his alma mater after he retired as a player. He also served as the head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA and coached in a variety of non-NBA men’s leagues around the world from 2003-15.
Joe’s son Kobe died in a helicopter crash in January 2020.
Our condolences go out to Joe’s family and friends.
Which father/son duo would you rather have on your team if you could have them both from rookie yr to retirement…
Jellybean/Kobe Bryant, Carlos/Cam Boozer, Dell/Steph Curry, Ron/Dylan Harper, Rick/Jon Barry, Arvydas/Domantas Sabonis, LeBron/Bronny James, Scottie/Scotty Pippen, Mychal/Klay Thompson, Tim/THJ Hardaway or Carmelo/Kiyan Anthony? Rank a top5 if possible… link to m.youtube.com
Thats a really tough one.
1. Dell/Steph Curry
2. Arvydas/Domantas Sabonis
3. LeBron
4. Jellybean/Kobe
I put a little more value on having 2 good players instead of 1, and Curry and Sabonis are the only pairs where both the father and son can have strong 16-year careers and start every year. But Lebron is better than all of them so I wouldn’t question anyone for taking him instead.
For #5 I am torn between Pippen and Barry. I dont think the rest of the options come close to these though.
I think you might be sleeping on the youngsters a bit (Cam Boozer, Dylan Harper & Kiyan Anthony) but I def respect that top 4-6. You see Dell as more of a starter level guard than THJ tho? Id also take the Curry’s over the Tim’s but I’d prob take Tim Jr over Dell. Mychal/Klay vs Tim Sr/Tim Jr is a tough one for me too
Depends on whether you get Arvydas’ EuroLeague years translated to the NBA or not. If not, I wouldn’t have him over Bean/Mamba. Kobe was so good for so long.
Dell/Steph are the top. I’d probably have LeBron second and not care about what Bronny can or can’t do, just because of how LeBron’s played 21 years without much of a dropoff. He was in serious MVP conversation through 2021. Bean/Mamba just barely behind him. Joe Bryant was a good defender and bench piece for a while. Domas is just too much of a question on defense for me. I don’t think a team with him at the 5 has a good shot at a title. He does a great job offensively and Arvydas was a beast, but longevity looms large (of course if Arvydas is full-time NBA, he and Domas take second over LeBron/BrawnyPaperTowels).
The Hardaways, Barrys, and Thompsons are great too. This is honestly one of the tougher ones you’ve put out imo. The guys whose kids are borderline NBA/not NBA yet are tougher to include outside of LeBron. Pippen probably the closest, but the Harpers are
“I think you might be sleeping on the youngsters a bit (Cam Boozer, Dylan Harper & Kiyan Anthony)”
None of those dudes have accomplished anything and Boozer and Anthony are 16 and 17 years old, respectively. Might want to pump the brakes before calling people out for “sleeping on” them.
First off it’s def wrong to say those guys haven’t accomplished anything. They’re all very accomplished young guys, especially Boozer & Harper. Like you say they’re still teenagers so obv they’re not accomplished as NBA players yet but the question is asking you to project what you think they’ll be as pros (which if you’re familiar with their game would be interesting to do, especially in tandem with their former pro dads & in comp to other, established NBA vets/legends). I completely understand that some/most/let’s be honest all of you guys may haven’t seen those guys play yet. A main reason for me putting them into the question is to raise your awareness about them. A less wordy way to say this would be to say you’re sleeping on them. I don’t mean that in a negative way, just a factual one.
1. Arvydas/Domantas
2. Dell Steph
3. Joe Kobe
4. Ron Dylan
5. Carmelo Kiyan
6. Tim Tim Jr
7. Carlos Cam
8. Mychal Klay
9. Scottie Scotty
10 LeBron Bronny bc bronny sucks that bad lol
So busy hating on Bronny that you forgot about Rick Barry, which is pretty metaphorical for the hoopsrumors comment section in general.
1. Steph/Dell Curry
2. LeBron/Bronny
3. Kobe/Jellybean Bryant
4. Klay/Mychal Thompson
5. Bill/Luke Walton
As far as Boozer and Melo’s kids? Boozer and Melo were great players but they didn’t accomplish as much as Steph, Bill or Klay or Kobe and their kids unlike LeBron’s aren’t even signed to NBA contracts yet.
You take Bill & Luke Walton over the Barry’s, the Sabonis’ & the Hardaway’s? I’m not sure about that one & I’m probably the biggest fan of Luke Walton as a basketball player outside of the state of Arizona.
Bill Walton was 2x All NBA, a Hall of Famer and an MVP. Injuries shortened his career and sapped his talents, otherwise Bill would most likely be a top 10 player in history. Although I mainly made this selection based the older Walton Luke did play an important role on a NBA championship team and played a minor role on another.
Arvydas and Domantas would be 6th. I lived just outside of Portland when he played for the Blazers. I was always in awe of what he could do and he was the main reason I went the games. Sadly, like Walton injuries derailed his career.
Bill Walton was a great player no doubt but Rick Barry was definitely better. Id say Jon Barry was definitely better than Luke as well. Usually there would be a bit of bias bc I’m a big Ga Tech fan but Jon is my least favorite Barry by a mile. Sadly I understand all too well why Arvydas was your guy back in the day (over guys like Sheed/Pip/Stoudamire), but I gotta wonder why Rick Barry doesn’t get near the same type of love that guys like Jerry West, Larry Bird, Stockton & even Walton get tho.
First off I loved Sheed, he was the heart and soul of those late 90’s and early 00’s Blazers teams then later the guy that put the Ben Wallace era Pistons over the top. He was even huge though they lost in the one game he played for your Hawks with 20 and 6 along with 5 blocks.
Sadly you’re insinuating that I like players like Arvydas Sabonis because you assume I’m a white racist. I’ll tone it down to just a simple Screw you! since this is a comments section of a basketball rumors site! You know nothing about my heritage. My grandfather was Meztizo and he was married to my full blooded Lipan Apache Grandma. My father spent his early childhood on the Mescalero reservation. I grew up in an agricultural Mormon area and was called nearly slur you can think of that’s usually reserved for Mexican Americans. People would cross the street to avoid me and my friends and would start fights just because the color of my skin. People assumed my heritage back then just as you are now.
I’m a fan of Sabonis and Walton because I like big men than can pass the rock. Guys like Shaq, Sheed, Greg Monroe, Domantas, Brad Daugherty, Chris Webber, Blake Griffin, Boris Diaw, Tim Duncan, George McGinnis, Giannis, Marc and Pau Gasol, Garnett, Barkley, Sam Lacey, Wes Unseld and LeBron. They were before my time but I’ve watched clips of Russell, Chamberlain, Cowens and Connie Hawkins.
What do you have against Lithuanians? Arvydas was a gifted passer and defender and here in the states we only got to see a shell of what the man used to be in Europe. There he was six time Euroscar and one greatest european players of all time. Rick Barry accomplished more in his NBA career but I can’t say he was definitely a better basketball player.
It’s gonna be an interesting conversation at the Pearl gates
Why would you say that? All this garbage down here will be long forgotten.
By that I mean my garbage, my mistakes, my inconsistencies, my selfishness, and the times where I did not put others ahead of myself. Thankfully all forgotten in the next life. Thank God for that.
Says who, god by definition is all knowing and cannot be comprehended by man.
And being that so then there’s a moral code that god directs people by, if you decide not to live by that standard then that’s your choice. But know there are consequences for actions and nothing is forgotten.
RIP Bryant
RIP Jellybean!!
He and his wife did a wonderful job of raising Kobe. They deserve a lot of credit and should never be forgotten. That being said everybody, all of us need to let go of bitterness, grudges especially among family. Because life is short…. So tragic Kobe, his dad and mom….
RIP “Jellybean” Bryant ….
has to take yrs away from you. your child dying before you.