Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke has died at 29, his agents announced Tuesday.
The NBA, 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 Front Office Sports 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. He was traded to Memphis 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 knee surgery in September. He sustained a calf strain in March and didn’t play the rest of the season.
“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 recently completed the third season of a four-year, $60 million contract. In April, Clarke was arrested in Arkansas on charges of speeding and possession of a controlled substance. That case was still ongoing at the time of his death.
“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 Pelicans forward Bryce Dejean-Jones in 2016.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
