Memphis Grizzlies basketball player Brandon Clarke has died, the team and his sports agency announced in two separate statements released Tuesday, May 12. He was 29 years old.
Clarke’s sudden death comes almost six weeks after he was arrested in Arkansas for speeding, possession of a controlled substance, fleeing police, speeding and trafficking in a controlled substance.
He had just completed his seventh season in the NBA, all with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Clarke was the 21st overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft, after appearances with Gonzaga, and had immediate success in the league, being named to the All-Rookie team, while recording career-high averages of 12.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.
In 2022, he signed a four-year contract extension worth 50 million euros.
But Clarke’s career in recent years had been hampered by injuries.
He played only six games in the 2023-24 season due to a ruptured Achilles tendon, while last season he missed almost entirely, playing only two games, due to calf and knee problems.
Brandon Clarke played 7 seasons in the NBA, averaging 10.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 309 games in the strongest basketball league in the world.
