A former NBA player and father of Basketball Hall of Fame guard Kobe Bryant ,Joe "Jellybean" Bryant has died at the age of 69.

Bryant played at the Philadelphia school from 1973-1975 and coached the Explorers from 1993-96 .

Further, he played 1975-1983 for the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers, then-San Diego Clippers and Houston Rockets as well as in Europe.

"We are saddened to announce the passing of La Salle basketball great Joe Bryant. He was a beloved member of the Explorer family and will be dearly missed,” La Salle University announced on Tuesday.

Bryant, a forward, played in Italy from 1983-1991 before closing his playing days with French side Mulhouse in 1991.

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For his NBA career, Bryant averaged 8.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists a game.

As a head coach, Joe Bryant went 40-24 over parts of three seasons with the Women's NBA Los Angeles Sparks. He also coached in Asia on clubs in Tokyo, Hokkaido, Bangkok and Fukuoka.