The Los Angeles Lakers have unfortunately seen several of their greats pass away in recent memory, with Jerry West being the most recent one.
West is arguably the most influential figure in Lakers history as he had his hand directly in numerous titles. However, West is also widely revered for his decision to trade for Kobe Bryant in the 1996 NBA Draft, a move that resulted in five more championships for Los Angeles.
Kobe’s death was a blow to the world, especially within the league as it came so suddenly after a tragic helicopter accident. To this day, Kobe is mourned by the masses but also revered for his contributions to the game of basketball.
The Bryant family unfortunately suffered more terrible news when it was announced that Kobe’s father Joe “Jellybean” Bryant passed away at the age of 69 due to a stroke. After the news broke, Vanessa Bryant offered her condolences on her personal Instagram account:
Vanessa Bryant offers condolences after the death of Joe Bryant: pic.twitter.com/XoVoXSKYCR
— Daniel Starkand (@DStarkand) July 16, 2024
During Kobe’s playing days, he and his immediate family weren’t very close as the Lakers icon sought more independence and freedom. Although Joe was around when Kobe captured his first championship rings, the two drifted apart over the years especially after the latter started to build his own family.
Vanessa may not have had the closest relationship with her father-in-law, but it sounds like she still cherished his presence and that Kobe still had love for him.
While not the same level of players that Kobe was, Joe wasn’t a slouch himself as he was a star player at John Bartram High School before going on to flourish at La Salle University. Joe was then taken 14th overall by the Golden State Warriors in the 1975 NBA Draft before they moved and became his hometown Philadelphia 76ers.
Joe would go on to spend eight seasons in the NBA before making the jump to play professional basketball in Italy until he retired in 1991. He would later go on to become a basketball coach at nearly every level, including for the Los Angeles Sparks.
Vanessa Bryant collaborating with Andrew Bernstein on books memorializing Lakers’ Kobe Bryant murals
In the wake of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna deaths, murals of the two popped up around the globe. With so many murals to see, Andrew Bernstein announced he’ll be collaborating with Vanessa on memorializing all of them.
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