Jellybean Bryant ABL journey

His celebrity as a basketball player has been overshadowed immensely everywhere by the accomplishments of his extraordinarily gifted son. But Joe Washington “Jellybean” Bryant – yes, Kobe’s Dad – still loves the game of basketball, and has flown thousands of miles to this part of the world to share that love.

Bryant, 57, the father of Los Angeles Lakers NBA All-Star guard Kobe, belatedly came aboard as head coach of the Bangkok Cobras in the current season of the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL). The jovial 6-9 Philadelphia native had a rather rude reception, as his first assignment was a home game of the feared AirAsia Philippine Patriots, and he only had hours to prepare.

“I got in (in Manila) at about 10 a.m., and the game was at 3 p.m.,” recalled Bryant, who had previously coached in Japan, Europe and the WNBA after eight seasons as an NBA player. “That was pretty hard.”

The bad news is that they got blown out by 28. The good news is that the Cobras started getting better. The next time they faced the former champion Patriots, they only lost by eight after a bad start.

Bryant, who was nicknamed “Jellybean” by a high school teammate for the flavor and variety in his moves, was a tall forward who could handle the ball. After being drafted by his home team Philadelphia 76ers, Bryant was expecting a lot of playing time. Unfortunately, he was on a squad overloaded with spectacular small forwards, including Julius Erving and George McGinnis. Eventually, Sixers management broke up the team and rebuilt it around the fabled Dr. J, who with Moses Malone towed the franchise to an NBA title in 1983.

This led to playing stints overseas, where his son, named after the special tender beef which is a staple of Japanese cuisine, often challenged other pros one on one while growing up. Eventually, Bryant found his way back to the US to continue his ties with the game. He coached the LA Sparks until the team was sold in 2007.

Coaching in the ABL is challenging, particularly in Bangkok, for several reasons. The Cobras have players culled from the original Thailand Slammers, splitting the talent between the two. English is not the first language. Also, basketball is still a young sport in Thailand. And lastly, many of Jellybean’s players are playing professionally for the first time.

“A lot of them actually have day jobs,” smiles Bryant at the irony. “Sometimes, it’s hard to get everybody to practice.”

Bryant supposedly had a falling out with Kobe when the latter married Vanessa Laine in 2001, right after she finished high school. The two have apparently worked things out, and have a much better relationship now. It is probably inescapable, because the two are connected by their surname and their passion for basketball.

With the Bangkok Cobras, Bryant’s main fulfillment is watching his players grow. Having lost 35 pounds over the last few years, Jellybean is in relatively great shape, and scrimmages with his players regularly. During games, he rarely berates his wards, often preferring to ask them what they were thinking when they make a mistake or don’t follow instructions, much like a father teaching a son how to learn from his own errors.

Luckily, Bryant got some veteran help in guards Jai Reyes and Marvin Cruz. Reyes, who started for the Blue Eagles and helped launch their current reign in the UAAP, adds versatility and outside shooting, while Cruz, P’s starting point guard for many seasons, adds toughness and quickness. On the court, the pair complement each other very well.

“Their experience and leadership is something we really need,” Bryant comments. “It rubs off on the guys and makes them better.”

Jellybean Bryant’s basketball journey of almost 40 years is far from over. He hopes to one day make it back into the NBA and teach younger players about love and respect for the game. In the meantime, he’s been perfectly happy passing on his knowledge to a new breed of players who didn’t have the privilege of growing up with the game of basketball.