Many friends and former teammates were stunned to find out that Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, standout basketball player and the father of late NBA star Kobe Bryant, had died last week at 69, writes Aaron Carter for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Maurice “Mo” Howard, a fellow Philadelphia basketball legend, said he was shocked by the news.

“I knew he had been sick, but I never expected him not to [get better],” Howard said.

Howard met Bryant when they were around 14, at a summer basketball league in Narberth. Years later, both became All-Americans. They also bonded beyond basketball.

“We just became good friends,” said Howard. “Our families became friends.”

Bryant’s high school teammate John “Flip” Groce was hit hard by the news. He and Bryant were born just four days apart.

“It was a good friendship,” he said. “Joe was just a likable guy.”

The two remained friends after high school, even though there were times they lost contact.

“But that was the beauty of it,” said Groce. “Whenever we did see or talk to each other, it was always a warm, friendly time.”

Read more about how people are remembering Joe Bryant in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

_____