Memphis Grizzlies Forward Dies Suddenly at Age 29

Brandon Clarke's seven-year run with the Memphis Grizzlies has ended in tragedy. The team and his agency said Tuesday that the 29-year-old forward has died. No details on how or when he died have been released. Clarke, a 2019 first-round pick out of Gonzaga, broke into the league with all-rookie honors and later signed a four-year, $50 million deal with Memphis, but his career had recently been stalled by major leg injuries that limited him to eight games over the past two seasons, USA Today reports.

• His death comes about six weeks after an April 1 arrest in Arkansas, where authorities say he fled deputies at speeds topping 100mph and was found with more than 230 grams of kratom, which is treated as a Schedule I controlled substance in that state.

• Clarke, who was born in Canada and grew up in Phoenix, launched the Brandon Clarke Foundation last year to support families in Memphis, focusing on literacy programs, the Commercial Appeal reports.
• "We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke," the Grizzlies said in a statement. "Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an even better person whose impact on the organization and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten. We express our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time."
• Priority Sports, his agency, remembered him as "the gentlest soul" who made an impact from high school through his NBA career. "We are beyond devastated by the passing of Brandon Clarke," the agency said. "He was so loved by all of us here, and everyone whose life he touched."