Grizzlies’ Brandon Clarke
Dead At 29
Published
Brandon Clarke — power forward for the Memphis Grizzlies — died on Monday, TMZ Sports has learned. He was only 29 years old.
The details surrounding Clarke’s tragic death aren’t clear.
Clarke was the 21st overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder, and immediately traded to Memphis.
Clarke was limited to only two games this season after suffering a significant calf strain in March.
Brandon played 7 seasons in the NBA, averaging 10.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists over 309 games in The Association.
As a first-year pro, he was named to the NBA’s All-Rookie team.
Clarke — born in Vancouver — played college basketball at San Jose State before transferring to Gonzaga in 2017.
After sitting out a year, he played for the Zags, helping to lead Mark Few‘s squad to a deep run in the NCAA Tourney, ultimately losing in the Elite 8.
Clarke averaged 16.9 PPG in Spokane and was named to the Associated Press and Sporting News All-American teams.
Last month, Clarke was arrested in Arkansas after allegedly leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase, before being taken into custody.
He was charged with possession and trafficking a controlled substance (kratom), and fleeing.
The case was still open when Clarke passed away.
Rest in peace.