The Tragic Truth About Kobe Bryant And His Father Joe's Complicated Relationship

Kobe Bryant's father, Joe Bryant, has tragically died at the age of 69. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Joe had a stroke that led to his death. With his passing, many are reflecting on his relationship with his late son, Kobe, and the truth is, it was quite complicated.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the strained relationship goes back to when Kobe tied the knot with Vanessa Bryant in 2001. Joe reportedly didn't approve of the romance and neither he nor his wife, Pam Bryant, attended the wedding ceremony. Years went by before the father-son duo had some sort of reconciliation. When Joe became the Los Angeles Sparks head coach, he and Kobe's relationship was on the mend. In 2010, Joe and Pam Bryant even attended the Los Angeles Lakers championship game, but it was reported that they were invited by a fan and not Kobe.

For years, there wasn't much to say about Joe and Kobe's relationship. However, in 2013, things changed between the two forever. Joe and Pam attempted to sell some of the NBA star's memorabilia allegedly without his knowledge. Kobe filed a lawsuit, which ended in a settlement and Joe and Pam issued an apology for the attempted auction. They said (via ESPN), "We apologize for any misunderstanding and unintended pain we have caused our son and appreciate the financial support he has provided over the years." The lawsuit may have concluded, but the relationship between Joe and Kobe would never be the same.

In 2016, Kobe Bryant made it known that he and his parents were not on good terms. He told ESPN, "Our relationship is s***." The Los Angeles Lakers star spoke on the memorabilia situation, which he didn't appreciate. He said, "I say, 'I'm going to buy you a very nice home,' and the response is, 'That's not good enough?' Then you're selling my s***?" The basketball star insinuated his parents constantly used him for money and never paved their own path.

Kobe and Joe's relationship appeared to be strained up until the athlete's death. In January 2020, Kobe and his daughter, Gianna Bryant, tragically died in a helicopter crash. Tributes and statements for the athlete poured in after the news broke. However, Joe never publicly spoke out about his son's death. It's a bit unclear where they stood at the time of his passing. 

Kobe's former coach and Joe's good friend, Wayne Slappy, claimed to the Daily Mail that the duo seemed to be on good terms in Kobe's final days. He shared, "I just remember being with him [Kobe] up at his camp in Santa Barbara, and seeing him hug his dad. You know how they loved each other from how they looked at each other, how they smiled." But with Joe not saying anything about Kobe's death, many questioned whether their relationship was truly recovering or whether it was still strained.