Lakers News: Vanessa Bryant Reflects on Death of Joe Bryant

Joe Bryant died at age 69.

Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports

Vanessa Bryant, the widow of Los Angeles Lakers Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant, has spoken out on the death of her father-in-law, Joe 'Jellybean' Bryant. Joe died at age 69, which was first reported by Mike Sielski of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Bryant shared a statement to her Instagram Stories, which said, “Sending our condolensces upon hearing the news of my father in law’s passing. We hoped things would have been different. Although the times we spent together were few, he was always sweet and nice to be around. Kobe loved him very much. Our prayers go out to the family.”

Joe died four years after his son, Kobe, who died alongside daughter Gianna "Gigi" Bryant in a helicopter crash.

Kobe did not always have a great relationship with his father, and there were multiple periods of estrangement during their lifetimes. Joe and his wife, Pam Bryant, did not attend Kobe and Vanessa's wedding because they did not approve of their relationship at the time. Later, Kobe shared in an ESPN interview in 2016 that he had not spoken to his parents in three years after they auctioned off several items of his memorabilia.

The former NBA player spent his career with the Philadelphia 76ers, San Diego Clippers, and Houston Rockets before playing basketball abroad in Italy and France. He later became a coah for his alma mater La Salle University, as well as the Los Angeles Sparks.

Joe leaves behind his wife, Pam, his two daughters, Sharia and Shaya, and his grandchildren.

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