Celebrity Deaths 2026: Catherine O’Hara, Eric Dane & More Fallen Stars
The NBA has lost a bright star.
Brandon Clarke—who’s been playing on the Memphis Grizzlies since 2019—died on May 11. He was 29.
“We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke,” the Grizzlies said in a statement to E! News May 12. “Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an even better person whose impact on the organization and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten.”
The team continued, “We express our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”
The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a medical emergency at a San Fernando Valley home shortly after 5 p.m. on May 11, authorities told NBC Los Angeles. Upon arrival, paramedics declared Clarke dead.
Drug paraphernalia was found in the home, authorities told the outlet, and the incident is being investigated as a possible overdose.
In the wake of Clarke’s death, NBA commissioner Adam Silver paid tribute and called him “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,” Silver said in a statement shared to X (formerly Twitter) May 12. “Our thoughts and sympathies are with Brandon’s family, friends and the Grizzlies organization.”
Meanwhile, Clarke’s agency remembered the athlete as “the most supportive friend you could ever imagine.”
Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
“We are all beyond devastated by the passing of Brandon Clarke,” Priority Sports said in a May 12 statement shared on Instagram. “He was so loved by all of us here, and everyone whose life he touched. He was the gentlest soul who was the first to be there for all of his friends and family Our hearts are so broken as we think about his mom, Whitney, his entire family, and all of his friends and teammates.”
The company added, “He was so unique in the joy he brought to all of those in his life. It's just impossible to put into words how much he'll be missed."
Clarke’s road to the NBA began at Desert Vista High School in Phoenix, Ariz., where he led his team to the Division I state championship game in 2015.
He spent his first two years playing collegiate basketball at San Jose State, before being transferred to Gonzaga.
Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images
Though he was originally selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the 21st pick, Clarke was traded to Memphis in a draft-day deal in 2019. He signed a four-year $52 million extension with the Grizzlies in 2019, per ESPN, continuing his professional basketball career as the team’s forward-center hybrid.
He tore his Achilles Tendon in March 2023, but he bounced back and played 64 games during the 2024-2025 season. However, Clarke only appeared in two matches during the most recent 2025-2026 basketball season due to calf and knee injuries.
One month before his death, Clarke was arrested in Arkansas on charges of speeding, possession of a controlled substance and trafficking of a controlled substance.
The case was still open at the time of Clarke’s death, according to court records viewed by E! News. His arraignment was scheduled for May 15.
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