Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, former NBA player and father of Kobe Bryant, passed away at 69. No official cause of death has been disclosed, but he recently suffered a severe stroke, as noted by La Salle University and coach Fran Dunphy.

Largely out of the public eye since Kobe’s tragic passing, Joe was a standout at La Salle and played professionally in the NBA and abroad. The 76ers honored him as a “local basketball icon.” Kobe once credited his father for shaping his basketball mindset. Former teammate Doug Young remembered Joe as an exceptional role model.