Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke soars for a dunk in a 2023 file photo.KAREN PULFER FOCHT
Vancouver-born NBA player Brandon Clarke has died at age 29, the Memphis Grizzlies confirmed Tuesday.
The Grizzlies did not provide a cause of death for the forward in their announcement on X.
Clarke’s agency, Priority Sports, wrote on social media that they were “beyond devastated” by Clarke’s death.
“We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke,” the Grizzlies said in a statement. “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 was the 21st overall pick out of Gonzaga in the 2019 NBA draft by Oklahoma City, which dealt his rights to the Grizzlies, who took guard Ja Morant at No. 2 overall.
Clarke joined Morant on the NBA’s All-Rookie team in 2020, and the Grizzlies gave him a multiyear contract extension in October, 2022.
Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke, who was born in Vancouver and raised in Arizona, has died at 29. Details surrounding his death were not immediately released. Clarke spent seven seasons with Memphis after being selected in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft out of Gonzaga.
The Canadian Press
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 just 72 of a possible 246 games over the past three seasons, including only two this season.
“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,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “Our thoughts and sympathies are with Brandon’s family, friends and the Grizzlies organization.”
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 is legal to possess in Tennessee.
He was released on bond a day later.
With reports from The Associated Press