Joe Bryant

Joseph Washington Bryant (born October 19, 1954), nicknamed "Jellybean",[1] is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played for the Philadelphia 76ers, San Diego Clippers, and Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also played for several teams in Italy and one in France. Bryant was the head coach of the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks from 2005 to 2007[2] and returned to that position for the remainder of the 2011 WNBA season. Bryant has also coached in Italy, Japan, and Thailand. His son, Kobe Bryant, was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Not to be confused with Joe Bryant Jr..
Joe Bryant
Bryant coaching Levanga Hokkaido in 2010
Personal information
Born (1954-10-19) October 19, 1954
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High schoolJohn Bartram
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
CollegeLa Salle (1973–1975)
NBA draft1975: 1st round, 14th overall pick
Selected by the Golden State Warriors
Playing career1975–1991
PositionPower forward / small forward
Number23, 22
Coaching career1992–2015
Career history
As player:
1975–1979Philadelphia 76ers
1979–1982San Diego Clippers
1982–1983Houston Rockets
1983–1986AMG Sebastiani Rieti
1986–1987Standa Reggio Calabria
1987–1989Olimpia Pistoia
1989–1991Reggiana
1991Mulhouse
As coach:
1992–1993Akiba Hebrew Academy
1993–1996La Salle (assistant)
2003–2004Las Vegas Rattlers
2004–2005Boston Frenzy
2005–2007Los Angeles Sparks
2007–2009Tokyo Apache
2010–2011Levanga Hokkaido
2011Los Angeles Sparks
2012Bangkok Cobras
2013Chang Thailand Slammers
2014–2015Rizing Fukuoka
Career NBA statistics
Points5,252 (8.7 ppg)
Rebounds2,441 (4.0 rpg)
Assists1,049 (1.7 apg)
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com

Professional career

Philadelphia 76ers (1975–1979)

After starring at La Salle University, Bryant, a 6'9" (2.06 m) forward, was drafted in the first round by the Golden State Warriors in the 1975 NBA draft.[3] Before the season started, though, he was traded to his hometown team, the Philadelphia 76ers, where he played for four seasons. In his second season, the 1976–77 76ers team, featured NBA all-stars Julius Erving, Doug Collins, and George McGinnis, they reached the 1977 NBA Finals, but eventually lost to the Portland Trail Blazers, 4 games to 2.[4]

San Diego Clippers (1979–1982)

Before the 1979–1980 season, the Sixers traded Bryant to the San Diego Clippers,[5] where he spent three seasons. In the first game of the 1979–1980 season, played at home against the Los Angeles Lakers, Bryant memorably had a slam dunk over center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Despite the dunk and a 46-point effort by teammate Lloyd Free (who had also been his teammate on the Sixers), the Lakers prevailed on a game-winning sky hook by Abdul-Jabbar.

Houston Rockets (1982-1983)

Following the 1981 season, Bryant played one season for the Houston Rockets.

Europe (1983–1992)

Bryant played overseas in Italy and France from 1982–1992. He ended his playing career in 1992.

Coaching career

Akiba Hebrew Academy (1992–1993)

Bryant's first coaching position, after returning from Europe, was when he was deployed with the U.S. Armed Forces in Italy. In the 1992–1993 season, he served as the head coach of the women's varsity team at Akiba Hebrew Academy in Lower Merion, Pennsylvania.[6]

La Salle Explorers (1993–1996)

In June 1993, he left Akiba and accepted an assistant coach position at his alma mater, La Salle University.[7] On May 7, 1996, Bryant resigned from La Salle after his son Kobe announced his intentions to enter the NBA out of high school.[8]

Diablos (2003)

Bryant served as coach for the Diablos during the 2003 season of SlamBall, in which the team posted a record of 4–6 and finished seventh place.

Los Angeles Sparks (2005–2007)

On August 22, 2005, Bryant, who was an assistant coach for the WNBA team Los Angeles Sparks, was named the head coach, succeeding previous coach (and former 76ers teammate) Henry Bibby. During the 2006 season, he led the Sparks to a 25–9 record and a Conference Finals berth. However, in April 2007, Bryant was replaced as Sparks head coach by Michael Cooper, who had previously helmed the team in 1999–2004.

Tokyo Apache (2007–2008)

Bryant spent the 2007–2008 season coaching the Tokyo Apache of the Japanese BJ League, during which the team was the runner-up in the playoffs.

Sebastiani Rieti (2009–2010)

On July 3, 2009, Bryant signed a contract with his first Italian club, Sebastiani Rieti.[9] The 2009–2010 season was also the club's last.

Levanga Hokkaido (2010–2011)

Bryant served as the head coach of Japanese professional basketball team Levanga Hokkaido during the 2010–2011 JBL season.

Bangkok Cobras (2012–2013)

In January 2012, Bryant was hired as coach of the Bangkok Cobras in the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL). He coached for the 2012–2013 season.[10]

Rising Fukuoka (2015)

Bryant served as the head coach of Rizing Fukuoka of the BJ League during 2015.[11]

Head coaching record
Legend
Regular season G Games coached W Games won L Games lost W–L % Win–loss %
Playoffs PG Playoff games PW Playoff wins PL Playoff losses PW–L % Playoff win–loss %

WNBA
Team Year G W L W–L% Finish PG PW PL PW–L% Result
Los Angeles Sparks 2005 642.6674th in Western202.000 Lost Conference Semifinals
Los Angeles Sparks 2006 34259.7351st in Western523.400 Lost Conference Finals
Los Angeles Sparks 2011 241113.4585th in Western–––– –

Japan
Team Year G W L W–L% Finish PG PW PL PW–L% Result
Tokyo Apache 2005–2006 402020.5003rd–––– –
Tokyo Apache 2006–2007 401228.3008th–––– –
Tokyo Apache 2007–2008 442717.6142nd in Eastern211.500 Runners-up
Tokyo Apache 2008–2009 523319.6352nd in Eastern431.750 Runners-up
Rera Kamuy Hokkaido 2010–2011 22616.273Fired–––– –
Rizing Fukuoka 2014–2015 32923.2819th in Western–––– –

Personal life

In 1975, Bryant married Pam Cox, sister of former NBA player Chubby Cox. Their son, Kobe, was also an NBA player, who was subsequently inducted into the Hall of Fame. Bryant also has two daughters, Sharia and Shaya. Through his wife Pam, he is the uncle-in-law of professional basketball player John Cox IV.

References
  1. Martinez, Nico (January 29, 2020). "Kobe's Father, Joe Bryant, Seen For The First Time Since Son and Granddaughter's Death". Fadeaway World. Retrieved February 1, 2020.
  2. "ESPN.com – WNBA – Bryant out, Cooper Back in as Sparks Coach". ESPN.
  3. "The evolution of Kobe Bryant – Ian Thomsen – SI.com". CNN. 2008-06-04. Retrieved 2010-05-06.
  4. "Basketball Statistics and History | Basketball-Reference.com".
  5. Bryant was traded for what eventually turned out to the first pick in the 1986 NBA draft, although prior to the draft the 76ers had traded the pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who selected Brad Daugherty.
  6. Charry, Rob (2004-02-27). "Coach Bryant? Akiba Once Led by Kobe's Dad". The Forward. The Forward. Retrieved 2009-03-24.
  7. "Bryant Returns to LaSalle as Assistant". Philadelphia Daily News. Philadelphia Daily News. 1993-06-24.
  8. "Bryant Quits La Salle Job". The New York Times. Associated Press. May 8, 1996. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
  9. Maffioli, Luca (2009-07-03). "Joe Bryant nuovo coach di Rieti" (in Italian). Sport Blog. Archived from the original on 2010-09-27. Retrieved 2009-07-04.
  10. Bangkok team hires Kobe’s dad Archived 2012-01-13 at the Wayback Machine
  11. Bryant out as Rizing Fukuoka coach
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