Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, father of Kobe Bryant, passed away at 69. Though the cause of death was not officially disclosed, he had recently suffered a severe stroke. Joe, a standout at La Salle University, played in the NBA and abroad,
with the 76ers honoring him as a “local basketball icon.” He averaged 8.7 points and 4.0 rebounds over 606 NBA games. After his playing career, he coached in the U.S., Japan, and Thailand, including a stint with the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks