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Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke has died at 29, his agents announced Tuesday.
The NBA, the Grizzlies, and Priority Sports agency all put out statements confirming Clarke’s death Tuesday afternoon.
The death “is being investigated as a possible overdose,” according to NBC Los Angeles, which reported that the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a medical emergency and declared Clarke dead on Monday.
A source confirmed to FOS that Los Angeles police are investigating Clarke’s death.
The 29-year-old spent his entire seven-year NBA career with the Grizzlies after being drafted by the Thunder in 2019 out of Gonzaga, where he was an All-American. He was traded to the Grizzlies two weeks later and made the NBA’s All-Rookie team his first season.
“Brandon was an outstanding teammate and even better person whose impact on the organization and the greater community will not be forgotten, “the Grizzlies said.
Clarke played just two games this season after September knee surgery. He suffered a calf strain in December and was ruled out for the rest of the season in March.
“We will remember Brandon not only for the immense joy he brought to so many throughout his career, but for the genuine friendships he built far beyond basketball,” NBPA executive director Andre Iguodala and NBPA president Fred VanVleet said in a statement.
Clarke signed a four-year contract worth $50 million in October 2022 that paid $12.5 million annually. But he struggled to stay healthy on his new deal. He tore his Achilles tendon in March 2023 and played just six games the following season.
In April, Clarke was arrested in Arkansas on charges of speeding, trafficking and possession of a controlled substance, fleeing in a vehicle while exceeding the speed limit, and improper passing. He was released on a $25,000 bond. That case was still ongoing at the time of his death. Clarke was scheduled to appear at a hearing Friday morning at the St. Francis County District Court in Forrest City, Ark., for the charges that stemmed from his April arrest.
“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.
The last active NBA player to die was Pelican forward Bryce Dejean-Jones in 2016.
