Joe Bryant (Joseph Washington Bryant) is the father of Kobe Bryant, a well-known American basketball star. Kobe Bryant was a two-decade NBA veteran who won five NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Joseph Washington Bryant had a long professional career, despite not being as successful as his son. He spent almost eight years in the NBA before traveling to Europe to continue his career.

Quick Facts

Joseph Washington Bryant is one of the best basketball players of all time. The father-son duo had a tumultuous relationship, which he has admitted multiple times in the public.

Joe used to be a frequent spectator of his son’s game, but that had become rarer during Kobe’s final years in the NBA. In 2016, he did not even bother to attend his son’s retirement ceremony.

There are, however, reasons for this.

Of course, we don’t know everything about their personal lives, but we’ve attempted to provide as much information as possible in the following piece.

Father of Kobe Bryant | Net Worth

Joseph Washington Bryant has a net worth of roughly $5 million, according to numerous websites. It’s possible since he had a fifteen-year professional basketball career and was one of the top NBA draft picks, plus he had high earnings from his playing career.

He also amassed more money throughout the course of his coaching career, which spanned over two decades. His son, Kobe, was the wealthiest member of his family, with a net worth of over $600 million.

Kobe Bryant Father | Early Life, Family & Education

He  better known as Joe Bryant, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on October 19, 1954. Joe Washington Bryant and Georgia Marie Bryant are his parents.

Joe’s father was originally from Georgia, but he and his family moved to Pennsylvania before he was born. As a result, his parents reared him in Philadelphia, where he remained until he made his NBA debut.

completed his middle school education at a local school near his home and then transferred to John Bartram High School. For his higher schooling, he went to La Salle University in the same state.

However, after completing his second year in college, he dropped out.

Basketball Career of Kobe Bryant’s Father

Joseph Washington Bryant was a basketball player for John Bartram High School and the La Salle Explorers before entering the NBA. Bryant had a tremendously successful career with the Explorers.

Joseph Washington Bryant appeared in 26 games in his first season, averaging 18.7 points and 10.8 rebounds per contest. In his sophomore season, he performed even better.

After finishing his sophomore season, the power forward from Philadelphia felt confident enough to declare for the NBA draft in 1975. In the first round of the draft, the Golden State Warriors selected him with the 14th overall choice.

Joe, dubbed “Jellybean,” had eight seasons in the NBA before retiring in 1983. Regrettably, his NBA career was abysmal from the start, and he did not get traction until his fifth season.

His later seasons, on the other hand, were relatively commendable. He headed to Europe to pursue his professional basketball career after being dismissed by the Houston Rockets.

For over eight years, Bryant played professional basketball for numerous clubs in Italy and France. In 1992, he decided to quit from all game formats and begin a coaching career.

Coaching as a profession

Joe’s first coaching experience came in 1992, when he was engaged as a coach by the US Armed Forces in Italy. He went to America shortly after and became the head coach of the Akiba Hebrew Academy in Pennsylvania.

Later, he coached for a number of teams in the United States and internationally, including the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks in 2011. After serving as the head coach of the Japanese team Rizing Fukuoka, he decided to retire from coaching in 2015.

Kobe Bryant’s Father | Height, Weight, and Age

Joe Bryant is a 67-year-old businessman. Bryant stands at a height of 2.06 meters (6 feet 9 inches). He is, nonetheless, quite light for his height. Currently, the retired professional athlete weighs roughly 185 pounds (84 kg).

Joe has also lost his hair, possibly due to aging, and is now entirely bald. He has dark brown eyes and wears glasses, to speak more about his face features. He also keeps a small goatee to enhance his appearance, while being clean shaved.

Kobe Bryant‘s Personal Life | Kobe Bryant’s Father

Joe Bryant is married to Pamela Bryant, an American socialite who goes by the nickname Pam. They married in 1975, and in their nearly half-century romance, they have never been apart.

Pam, like Joe, was a native of Philadelphia, and the two had known each other before Joe’s NBA career began. Joe saw her frequently while Pam was visiting a cousin, but he lacked the nerve to approach her at first.

He had, however, previously told his buddies that he would marry her one day. He finally proposed to her in 1974 after many failed efforts, and they dated for around seven months before marrying in 1975.

Joe and Pam Bryant had three children together. Sharia, their first child, was born a year after their wedding in 1976. Shaya Bryant, their second daughter, was born on July 30, 1977.

Both of their daughters are now married with three children apiece. Despite being married, they live near to their parents and are successful in their own industries.

Last but not least, on August 23, 1978, their famous son, Kobe, was born. In the basketball world, he eventually became more popular than his father.

Kobe’s life & Career

Kobe Bryant was born and reared in Pennsylvania, the only child of Joe and Pam Bryant. Joe began his professional career with the Italian club AMG Sebastiani in 1983, after spending about six years of his boyhood in Italy with his parents.

Kobe spent almost eight years in Italy and a short time in France before returning to Philadelphia. Because Kobe spent the most of his time in Europe, he developed a passion for sports, particularly football.

However, because of his father’s influence, young Bryant was always interested in basketball. As a result, when he returned to the United States, he began playing basketball seriously.

Because of his remarkable development as a guard, Kobe entered the NBA draft straight out of high school. Kobe Bryant made his professional league debut with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996, despite being drafted by the Charlotte Hornets.

Bryant established himself as one of the best NBA players of all time while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers throughout his career. In 2016, he declared his retirement.

Kobe Bryant had a colorful personality and was involved in a variety of activities outside of basketball. The basketball star appeared in a number of films and television series, as well as charities and enterprises.

Regrettably, he only had a brief life. In 2020, Kobe died in a helicopter crash near the foothills of Calabasas, California, while on his way to watch a crucial basketball game. Gianna, his daughter, and eleven other individuals were killed in the tragedy.

He was only forty-one years old when he died.

Joe’s Relationship with Kobe Bryant | Kobe Bryant’s Father

It is not necessary to go into detail regarding Joe’s tumultuous connection with his son, Kobe. While he was his son’s idol when he was younger, alongside Michael Johnson and Magic Johnson, he became detested by him later in life.

Joe used to cheer Kobe up when he felt like he’d never accomplish anything in basketball when he was a kid. With Joe’s encouragement and support, Kobe went on to accomplish many things he could not have dreamed as a child.

Joe, on the other hand, was not always his son’s favorite. Even though he attempted to be friendly to his son, there were times when Kobe became enraged.

One of the first squabbles occurred in 2001, when Kobe introduced his girlfriend, Vanessa Cornejo, and announced his intention to marry her.

Kobe was so irritated by Joe and his wife’s disapproval of their relationship that he didn’t speak to them for over two years.

After the birth of their granddaughter, Natalia, in 2003, Joe grew closer to his son.

In the years thereafter, Kobe has made numerous derogatory remarks about his parents. He once told the press that his connection with his parents was a disaster.

Similarly, he once said that parents should be parents and not administrators of their children, implying that his parents were involved in his business life.

In 2013, Joe and his wife caused another huge breach between them when they chose to sell Kobe’s sports memorabilia to an auction firm without his authorization. Kobe later grabbed all of his possessions and accused his parents for his actions.

Joe, on the other hand, later apologized for his error.

Had Joe and Kobe reconciled?

Just before Kobe’s tragic death, certain media sites stated that Joe and his son had rekindled their relationship. However, they had failed to show up for major events such as Kobe’s final NBA game and the retirement ceremony for his jersey numbers.

As a result, it was still unclear whether or not they had patched things up. However, it is undeniable that Joe and Pam were devastated as parents when they learned of their son’s death and needed a long time to recover.

It was even forbidden for them to speak to the press or attend their son’s funeral on February 7, 2020. They did, however, attend a public memorial service on February 24, 2020, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Frequently Asked Questions

Was Joe Bryant a good player?

It would be wrong to say that Joe Bryant always performed well in his career. However, he was one of the best all-rounders during his college years, as he had outstanding scores and rebound points.

So, although he struggled to put up a good game in his professional basketball career, Joe Bryant was overall a good player.

Why was Joe Bryant called Jellybean?

Joe was very agile and could show varieties of basketball moves even though he was one of the tallest guys in his high school. So, his teammate started calling him Jellybean as he moved around the court with ease.