Bryant Charles Gumbel, born on September 29, 1948, in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Richard Dunbar Gumbel, a probate judge, and Rhea Alice LeCesne Gumbel, a city clerk, is the younger brother of sportscaster Greg Gumbel. An African American pioneer in broadcasting, he began his career in sports journalism as a reporter for Black Sports magazine, where he was quickly promoted to editor, forgoing his parents' hopes for him to attend law school. Gumbel rose to prominence as co-host of NBC's Today show for 15 years, becoming one of the first African American hosts on a major network morning program. He later covered NFL football and other sports before launching HBO's Real Sports in 1995 as executive producer and host, which he continued until his retirement in 2023. The Emmy-winning program earned critical acclaim, including a 2012 Peabody Award, and was praised as one of television's best sports shows. Gumbel was married to June Baranco from December 1, 1973, with whom he had two children, Jillian and Bradley; the couple later divorced, and he married Hilary Quinlan on August 24, 2002.