Joe Bryant was drafted in the first round by Golden State in 1976 but refused to report and was traded to his hometown team, a talented, albeit undisciplined, Philadelphia 76ers team. They had him, Terry Furlow, Darryl Dawkins, Lloyd (later World) Free. Of course they also had Julius Erving, George McGinnis and Doug Collins, so they finished 1st in the East just based on talent alone in 1976-77 (losing in the Finals), but having disappointing ending to every year until they re-tooled the team in 1979-80 and returned to the Finals.
Bryant found himself in an even more undisciplined situation in in 1979-80 on a team with Free, Sidney Wicks, Freeman Williams and the legendary headcase himself, Marvin Barnes. With star center Bill Walton out most of the year, as well as 1980-81 and 1981-82 the Clippers were something of a train wreck, and Bryant was traded to Houston in 1982 where he spent a season on a miserable team built to get the first pick in the draft, Ralph Sampson.
Bryant then went to Italy for eight seasons (where his son, what's-his-name?) was born, before finishing his career with a year in France.
Bryant then began his coaching career as a women's prep school coach in Pennsylvania. He spent most of the next 20+ years coaching all over - including a couple stints with the LA Sparks of the WNBA, and time coaching in Japan and Thailand.
Anyway, almost every account of Bryant's life will be distilled down to "Kobe's dad" but I just wanted people to understand he had a full career as a player and coach in his own right.
RIP Jellybean
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