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.