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Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke has died, the NBA team and his agents announced Tuesday, and a person familiar with the terms of the ongoing investigation said an autopsy was planned to determine the exact cause.
The 29-year-old Clarke was found dead Monday at a home in the Los Angeles area and emergency personnel who responded to the scene found drug paraphernalia in the home, said the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because those details were not released publicly.
Neither the Grizzlies nor Clarke’s agency, Priority Sports, provided any details about the cause of Clarke’s death.
“We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke. Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an even better person whose impact on the organization and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten,” read a statement from the Grizzlies.
His agents wrote on social media that they were “beyond devastated.”
“He was so loved by all of us here and everyone whose life he touched,” read the statement from Priority Sports. “He was the gentlest soul who was the first to be there for all of his friends and family.”
‘Beloved teammate’
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 the 21st overall pick out of Gonzaga in the 2019 NBA draft by Oklahoma City, which dealt his rights to the Grizzlies.
He was fourth in the 2019-20 Rookie of the Year balloting — his Grizzlies’ teammate Ja Morant was the overwhelming winner of that award — and also was 11th in the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year voting for the 2021-22 season.
Clarke averaged 10.2 points and 5.5 rebounds in 309 career NBA games.
He averaged 16.9 points in his one season at Gonzaga, transferring there after starting his college career at San Jose State. At Gonzaga, he was a huge part of a team that also had Rui Hachimura — now with the Los Angeles Lakers — and went 33-4.