Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, father of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, has died at 69. A former NBA player himself, Joe was known not only for his professional career but also for his role in shaping his son’s basketball journey. As of Tuesday morning, no official cause of death had been announced.

La Salle University, where Bryant both played and coached, honored him in a statement, saying he “was a beloved member of the Explorer family and will be dearly missed.” Longtime Philadelphia coach Fran Dunphy told the Philadelphia Inquirer that Bryant had recently suffered a severe stroke.

Joe Bryant largely stayed out of the public eye after the tragic death of his son in 2020. In a 2010 ESPN interview, Kobe reflected on his father’s influence, saying Joe taught him “from an early age how to view the game, how to prepare for the game and how to execute.” That guidance played a key role in Kobe’s development into one of basketball’s greatest players.

In January 2020, Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, while traveling to a youth basketball event. Despite reports of a sometimes strained relationship, Joe and his wife Pam, who were married for nearly fifty years, attended the memorial service in Los Angeles a month later.

Joe “Jellybean” Bryant leaves behind a lasting legacy in basketball—as a player, a coach, and a father whose early lessons helped shape a Hall of Fame career.