Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, the father of the late Basketball Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant, has passed away at 69, as reported by La Salle University’s athletics department.
According to La Salle men’s head basketball coach Fran Dunphy, The Philadelphia Inquirer noted that Joe had recently suffered a stroke, although the exact cause of death has not been confirmed.
La Salle University, where Joe both played and coached, released a statement saying he “was a beloved member of the Explorer family and will be dearly missed.”
Joe was an accomplished basketball player in his own right, having been drafted as the 14th overall pick by the Golden State Warriors in the 1975 NBA draft. He played four seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, three seasons with the San Diego Clippers, and one season with the Houston Rockets, in addition to his time playing in Europe.
The 76ers honored Joe as “a local basketball icon, whose legacy on the court transcended his journey across Bartram High School, La Salle University, and his first four NBA seasons with the 76ers from 1975-79.”
His sudden passing comes four years after the tragic deaths of his son Kobe and granddaughter Gianna, who were killed in a helicopter crash alongside seven others.
Kobe’s widow, Vanessa Bryant, shared her condolences on Instagram, saying, “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.”
Doug Young, a former teammate of Kobe, praised Joe as the perfect role model. “Joe was our JV coach at Lower Merion, and I could not have asked for a more positive mentor, teacher, and role model,” Young told ESPN. “It’s difficult to overstate how much he influenced me and my teammates. He made basketball fun and inspired us all to be better; he believed in us. I’ll never forget his infectious smile, his bear hugs, and the incredible bond he shared with Kobe. Growing up in Lower Merion, there was no family we loved and admired more than the Bryants, and that started with Joe.”
Arn Tellem, vice chairman of the Pistons and formerly Kobe’s agent, expressed his sorrow over Joe’s passing and joined the basketball community in mourning a true Philadelphia hoops legend. “Our friendship opened the door for me to represent Kobe as he entered the NBA, a memory I’ll always cherish. Joe was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather, whose warmth touched everyone he met.”
May he rest in peace.
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Jennifer Garner trying to save ex-husband Ben Affleck’s marriage to Jennifer Lopez – wants to ‘keep them together,’ says source
According to a source who spoke to Us Weekly, Ben Affleck’s ex-wife and mother of his children, Jennifer Garner, is “encouraging Ben to work on his marriage to Jen” amid persistent accusations that the couple is having marital problems.
“[Garner] fully supports their relationship and wants nothing more than for him to be happy,” the insider continued. The reason for this is that, despite the fact that Garner views Afflek as “a complicated guy” and that their marriage failed, the two have always been quite cooperative with regard to their children, Violet, 18, Fin, 15, and Samuel, 12.
Furthermore, according to certain media sources, Lopez approached Garner on her own because she believed that the actress was “one of the only people in the world who would understand what she is going through.”
In a 2020 New York Times interview, Affleck said that his drinking had made his “marital problems” with Garner worse.
He added at the time, “People with compulsive behavior—me included—have this kind of constant, basic discomfort that they’re trying to get rid of.” “You’re attempting to use food, booze, sex, gambling, shopping, or any other activity to help yourself feel better. However, that only makes everything worse in the end. Then, in an attempt to ease the ache, you continue doing it. Then the really suffering begins.
“It turns into an unbreakable vicious cycle,” he went on. “It’s the least that occurred to me.”
Affleck did not attend the premiere of his wife’s new film, Atlas, earlier this week.
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