“My father… we [family] was very competitive. You had to really really work to just survive,” Kobe Bryant said of his father and family who ran under an extremely competitive environment, striving for excellence. We know how that turned out for the Black Mamba, sparking the Mamba Mentality and the influence it imparted. While Kobe’s success is well-spoken for, here’s a path, the path of Joe Jellybean Bryant that inspired it all. 

Joe Bryant, four years after his son’s tragic demise, took his final breath today following a massive stroke, at age 69. He played in Italy, got drafted into the NBA, and served as a WNBA coach during his basketball run. Through it all, Joe also ensured a close-knit family. 

The Bryants

Joe Bryant tied the knot with Pam Cox, the sister of former NBA player Chubby Cox, in 1975. They were blessed with a baby girl on March 19, 1976, who was named Sharia. As per reports, she is a businesswoman and a mother to three kids. For her father’s demise today, Sharia Washington shared an old picture of her and Joe Bryant on Instagram as a tribute.

Joe and Pam gave birth to their second child on July 30, 1977, who was named Shaya. This is Kobe Bryant’s second sister, who pursued business at La Salle University. Shaya Bryant was also a star volleyball player in the early 2000s when Kobe Bryant was busy adding championships to his resume. Much isn’t known about Shaya’s personal life but she seems to have been rather fond of her brother, who still features in her profile picture. 

On August 23, 1978, Kobe Bean Bryant was born in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, which was Joe Bryant’s hometown. It would be easy to say the “rest is history,” but let’s look into how Kobe was a reason why Joe left his international run in Italy to return to America. 

Joe Bryant in the NBA. How did Kobe Bryant play a part in his father’s return to America?

Joe Bryant played for the La Salle Explorers from 1973-1975 before he tied the knot with Pam Cox. In the 1975 NBA draft, he was selected as the 14th pick by the Golden State Warriors but was eventually traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. In his four seasons with the Sixers, Joe averaged 6.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists. He also made it to the NBA Finals in his second season, where he faced the Portland Trailblazers for six games. Anyhow, Joe was not able to bag a ring. 

Later, he joined the San Diego Clippers, where his performance improved. In his three seasons with the Clippers, Joe averaged 10.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists, shortly after which he joined the Houston Rockets. This was his final NBA season. He played 81 games and averaged 10 points, then decided to take his talents abroad. 

Joe moved to Italy along with his family after playing eight seasons in the NBA. Kobe was just six then. He followed his father everywhere as a kid, even wore his jersey to sleep, asking to accompany his father to practice everyday. Looking at Kobe Bryant’s love for basketball and his determination to achieve big, Joe returned to the States in 1991. Kobe was a 13-year-old back then, who eventually went on to play for the Lower Merion High School in Pennsylvania.

Unlike his father, Kobe decided to forgo college and declared himself for the 1996 NBA draft. He was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets and was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. This would be the right time to say, “The rest is history.” Kobe went on to win 5 championships for the LA unit, earned an MVP and two Finals MVP, and made it to the Hall of Fame. Meanwhile, let’s take a look at what Joe Bryant was doing. 

Joe Bryant started a new chapter as a coach after he returned from Italy 

Joe’s coaching career started with Akiba Hebrew Academy, a high school in his hometown. He then became an assistant coach for his alma mater, La Salle University. Joe coached various teams and universities. He even went to Japan and Thailand for the same. Finally, he made his mark by entering the WNBA. 

Joe started as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Sparks in 2005, under Henry Bibby. After Bibby was fired later that season, Joe was appointed the new head coach. Under Joe’s leadership, the Sparks went on a 4-1 run in his first 5 games as a head coach to qualify for the playoffs. This was just the start of something better. 

In 2006, the LA Sparks finished with a notable record of 25-9. The highlight was that they reached the Conference Finals that season. Anyhow, the Sparks expected something bigger from Joe Bryant. In 2001 and 2002, the Sparks had won back-to-back championships. They had made it to the Finals in 2003 as well. After an impressive display like that, the Sparks were not satisfied with just a Conference Finals appearance. Ahead of the 2007 season, Joe Bryant was replaced by Michael Cooper, which was the end of his coaching career. 

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video: