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NBA player Brandon Clarke has died at the age of 29.The Memphis Grizzlies, the team Clarke played on for seven seasons, announced his death Tuesday afternoon.”We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke,” the statement read. “Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an even better person whose impact on the organization and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten.”Clarke’s agency, Priority Sports, also confirmed his passing. A cause of death has not been announced.”He was so loved by all of us here and everyone whose life he touched,” Priority Sports said. “He was the gentlest soul who was the first to be there for all of his friends and family.”Clarke was drafted in the first round by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2019. He was traded shortly after to the Grizzlies.The Canadian-born player, who attended San Jose State and Gonzaga for college, broke out in his rookie season as a dependable frontcourt option for the Grizzlies, averaging 12.1 points and 5.9 rebounds in 58 games during the 2019-2020 COVID-shortened season. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team and finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting. He tore his left Achilles tendon on March 3, 2023, in a loss to the Denver Nuggets in a showdown of the top two teams in the Western Conference. Injuries limited him to 72 of a possible 246 games over the past three seasons, including only two this season.On Tuesday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver expressed sympathies to Clarke’s family and friends and the Grizzlies organization.”We are devastated to learn of the passing of Brandon Clarke,” Silver said. “As one of the longest-tenured members of the Grizzlies, Brandon was a beloved teammate and leader who played the game with enormous passion and grit.”Clarke was arrested April 1 in Arkansas for speeding and possession of a controlled substance that was reportedly kratom, an herbal supplement promoted as an alternative pain remedy that becomes illegal in Tennessee as of July 1. He was released on bond a day later.The Associated Press contributed to this report.
NBA player Brandon Clarke has died at the age of 29.
The Memphis Grizzlies, the team Clarke played on for seven seasons, announced his death Tuesday afternoon.
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“We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke,” the statement read. “Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an even better person whose impact on the organization and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten.”
Clarke’s agency, Priority Sports, also confirmed his passing. A cause of death has not been announced.
“He was so loved by all of us here and everyone whose life he touched,” Priority Sports said. “He was the gentlest soul who was the first to be there for all of his friends and family.”
Clarke was drafted in the first round by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2019. He was traded shortly after to the Grizzlies.
The Canadian-born player, who attended San Jose State and Gonzaga for college, broke out in his rookie season as a dependable frontcourt option for the Grizzlies, averaging 12.1 points and 5.9 rebounds in 58 games during the 2019-2020 COVID-shortened season. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team and finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting.
He tore his left Achilles tendon on March 3, 2023, in a loss to the Denver Nuggets in a showdown of the top two teams in the Western Conference. Injuries limited him to 72 of a possible 246 games over the past three seasons, including only two this season.
On Tuesday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver expressed sympathies to Clarke’s family and friends and the Grizzlies organization.
“We are devastated to learn of the passing of Brandon Clarke,” Silver said. “As one of the longest-tenured members of the Grizzlies, Brandon was a beloved teammate and leader who played the game with enormous passion and grit.”
Clarke was arrested April 1 in Arkansas for speeding and possession of a controlled substance that was reportedly kratom, an herbal supplement promoted as an alternative pain remedy that becomes illegal in Tennessee as of July 1. He was released on bond a day later.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
