Prayers are being sent for the Bryant family after yet another devastating loss.

Former NBA player and father of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, passed away at the age of 69. Bryant “was a beloved member of the Explorer family and will be dearly missed,” according to La Salle University, where he played and served as coach. La Salle head coach Fran Dunphy said Bryant had just had a serious stroke.

Joe Bryant had hardly made an appearance in public since Kobe Bryant’s untimely death in a helicopter crash in January 2020. Kobe once commended his father’s basketball skills, stating that Joe taught him “how to view the game, how to prepare for the game, and how to execute” from a young age.

Joe Bryant, who averaged 20.8 points per game, was a standout at La Salle University. He played for the Philadelphia 76ers and other NBA teams until being selected by the Golden State Warriors in the 1975 NBA Draft. “Joe ‘Jellybean’ Bryant was a local basketball icon,” the 76ers said, acknowledging his influence.

Joe was a great “role model,” according to Kobe’s old teammate Doug Young, who said, “He made basketball fun and made us all want to be better.” Later, Joe Bryant served as a coach for the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA, among other teams.