After starring at La Salle University, Bryant, a 6’9″ (2.06 m) forward, was drafted in the first round by the Golden State Warriors in 1975. Before the season started, though, he was dealt to his hometown team, the Philadelphia 76ers, with whom he played for four seasons. In his second season, on the 1976–77 76ers team, featuring NBA all-stars Julius Erving, Doug Collins, and George McGinnis, they reached the 1977 NBA Finals, but eventually lost to the Portland Trail Blazers, 4 games to 2. Before the 1979-80 season, the Sixers traded Bryant to the San Diego Clippers, where he spent three seasons.

In 1975, Bryant married Pam Cox, sister of former NBA player Chubby Cox. Bryant’s son, Kobe, would have a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, winning five NBA championships. Bryant also has two daughters, Sharia and Shaya. Through his wife Pam, he is the uncle of professional basketball player John Cox IV. Kobe and his daughter Gianna were killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, on January 26, 2020.

In the first game of the 1979-80 season, played at home against the Los Angeles Lakers, Bryant memorably had a slam dunk over center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Despite the dunk and a 46-point effort by teammate Lloyd Free (who had also been his teammate on the Sixers), the Lakers prevailed on a game-winning sky hook by Abdul-Jabbar. Following the 1981 season, Bryant played one season for the Houston Rockets before playing overseas, ending his playing career in 1992.

Bryant’s first coaching position, after returning from Europe, was when he was deployed with the U.S. Armed Forces in Italy. In the 1992–93 season, he served as the head coach of the women’s varsity team at Akiba Hebrew Academy in Lower Merion, Pennsylvania. In June 1993, he left Akiba and accepted an assistant coach position at his alma mater, La Salle University. On May 7, 1996, Bryant resigned from La Salle after his son Kobe announced his intentions to enter the NBA out of high school. Later, Bryant served as coach for the Diablos in the 2003 Season of SlamBall.

On August 22, 2005, Bryant, who was an assistant coach for the WBNA team Los Angeles Sparks, was named the head coach, succeeding previous coach (and former 76ers teammate) Henry Bibby. During the 2006 season, he led the Sparks to a 25–9 record and a Conference Finals berth. However, in April 2007, Bryant was replaced as Sparks head coach by Michael Cooper, who had previously helmed the team in 1999–2004.

On July 3, 2009, he signed a contract with his first Italian club, Sebastiani Rieti.

In January 2012, he was hired as coach of the Bangkok Cobras in the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL). He also served as the head coach of Rizing Fukuoka of the BJ League.