He is a man with a rich background and an even richer future. No matter where you look, Kobe Bryant has been there before his time. In the beginning, Kobe Bryant’s father Joe “Jellybean” Bryant was playing ball for the Philadelphia 76ers, and eventually went on to play in Italy after being cut from the Sixers. This is where Joe met then-future ex-wife Pamela Cox, who was an international model. They then settled down in Italy and had two children, Kobe Bryant and his younger sister Shaya.
Kobe’s father played for six teams in 13 years, but hardly saw any action with the Sixers or San Diego Clippers. He did play for the Italian league’s Rieti, Reggio Calabria, Milano and Pistoia. Playing in Europe was what opened Kobe Bryant’s father up to the world, but it also raised many questions about his legitimacy as an NBA player. Some say that if it wasn’t for his long legs he wouldn’t have made it as far as he did.
how old was kobe
According to www.basketball-reference.com, Kobe Bryant’s father caught on with the Sixers in 1979 as a 28-year old rookie and went on to play there for two seasons before playing in Italy from 1981-1991. This would mean that Kobe Bryant was around four or five years old when his dad went overseas to play ball.
On a side note, Kobe Bryant’s father is a member of the prestigious list of only eight players in NBA history to score more than 50 points in a game with 54 on February 16, 1981 against the SuperSonics. He was also inducted into the Italian basketball Hall of Fame for his contributions there.
After Kobe Bryant’s father retired from basketball
He was then recruited to the upstart WNBA by women’s basketball great Nancy Lieberman. He led the team in scoring and won co-MVP of the league with Rebecca Lobo. Kobe Bryant’s father now coaches high school ball at his alma mater La Salle where he coached Kobe’s basketball team for two seasons before he graduated.
Kobe Bryant has said that one of his biggest inspirations in life is his father, and that the man is who he gets his work ethic from. Kobe Bryant was quoted by SlamOnline.com as saying “He’s (my dad) an animal when it comes to hard work.”
Kobe Bryant’s father has reportedly been training his son since he was just 15 months old, teaching him basketball fundamentals
The younger Kobe could dribble a ball before he could walk according to reports, and that’s how his dad started him on the road to the NBA.
Some say that it was destiny for Kobe Bryant to become one of the most respected and admired people in the world today. It was destiny for him to be a role model for generations to come.
Some say that it was his father Joe “Jellybean” Bryant who made this all possible by teaching Kobe from a very young age the power of hard work, even when no one else saw greatness in him.
how old was kobe when his dad retired from basketball
Can you imagine a 15-month-old dribbling a basketball? In Kobe Bryant’s early life he probably couldn’t either. Somehow, through all the hard work and determination, the 5-time NBA Champion made it to where he is today. Some say that he never would have made it to the NBA if not for his father “Jellybean” Joe Bryant.
Kobe Bryant’s father is a great man in his own right, but he never would have achieved greatness in life had he not been in a position to influence and teach others in a positive way.
He has always been an avid supporter of his son and he is also a role model who set the example for what was to come.