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Big 5 basketball legend Joe Bryant has passed away at the age of 69 following a massive stroke, current La Salle head coach Fran Dunphy confirmed to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Bryant played for La Salle men’s basketball for two seasons between 1973 and 1975. The Philadelphia native and John Bartram High School graduate averaged 20.3 points and 11.1 rebounds for the Explorers.
On Tuesday morning, the La Salle men’s basketball program took to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, to mourn the loss of Bryant.
We are saddened to announce the passing of La Salle basketball great Joe Bryant.
Joe played for the Explorers from 1973-75 and was a member of our coaching staff from 1993-96. He was a beloved member of the Explorer family and will be dearly missed.
In his second season with La Salle, Bryant led his team to the 1975 Big 5 Championship, going undefeated in league play. Notably, the Explorers prevented Penn men’s basketball from winning the program’s sixth straight Big 5 Championship off Bryant’s 25 points and game-winning shot during their lone matchup of the season.
Despite Bryant’s famous battles against the Red and Blue, the Philadelphia basketball great shared a court with the Quakers, as the Explorers also called the Palestra home during Bryant’s collegiate career.
Bryant would go on to be drafted by the Golden State Warriors in the 1975 NBA Draft prior to his draft rights being sold to the Philadelphia 76ers. In the NBA, Bryant played for the 76ers, San Diego Clippers, and Houston Rockets, regularly contributing off the bench. Bryant would later play professionally in Europe following an eight-season stint in the NBA.
