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.
