Advertisement - scroll for more content
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement - scroll for more content
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Damichael Cole: The Grizzlies will have a tribute for Brandon Clarke today. “We’re going to play our hearts out for Brandon as he would want us to. Just want to try to honor him in that way.”
Memphis Grizzlies: Today, on his birthday, we remember Brandon Clarke. He will continue to remain at the heart of Grizz Nation. We will honor his memory together with a pre-game tribute and moment of silence on Opening Night and a BC jersey patch throughout the season
Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke, who died of an accidental overdose of heroin and cocaine, had been struggling with a history of drug use that included prior stints in rehabilitation, according to a report released Monday by the L.A. County Medical Examiner. Clarke, who spent his entire NBA career with the Memphis Grizzlies, died May 11 at a residence in Southern California. He was 29. His agent was unable to reach him and asked Clarke’s roommate to check on him. The roommate had believed Clarke was napping or at basketball practice, but at the agent’s urging, he discovered Clarke unresponsive in his bedroom.
Toxicology testing detected oxycodone, anti-anxiety medication and muscle relaxers, noting that they were found “within therapeutic levels.” Mitragynine, which is derived from the kratom plant, was also detected and reported alongside the prescription medications.
Kevin O'Connor: Sources confirmed that Brandon Clarke’s contract was completely protected for death. Statement from Priority Sports’ Mark Bartelstein: “Brandon’s contract was fully protected for a God-forbid occurrence. So Brandon’s family and his estate are fully protected in Brandon’s contract….The support that the entire Grizzlies organization has shown to Brandon’s family during this devastating time has been beyond words.”
Advertisement
Kevin O'Connor: NBA sources confirm that Brandon Clarke’s contract was completely protected for death. The $12.5M is expected to be paid in full through life insurance. An erroneous report said that the Clarke estate will not be paid out his $12.5M following his death in May. But the deal was negotiated for the Memphis Grizzlies to reimburse for life insurance to protect against the possibility of death, which is a customary approach to player contracts across the NBA. It provides the most beneficial protection for a player that can be negotiated in an NBA contract, since it provides tax advantages to the player.
Multiple sources told Front Office Sports that Clarke earned his full $12.5 million from the 2025–26 season, but the final year of his salary won’t be paid out to his estate because it wasn’t protected for death. However, Clarke did have a life insurance policy, sources say. It’s unknown if the factors surrounding his death could impact its payout.
Former NBA player Brandon Clarke died of a lethal combination of drugs, according to officials. The County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner announced on Friday the 29-year-old passed away from “the effects of heroin and cocaine.” It added that the manner of his passing was an accident.
Clarke died inside of a San Fernando Valley home on May 11, and according to the LA County DME, medical personnel first located him “unresponsive in his bedroom” at around 5 p.m. He was ultimately pronounced deceased at 5:15 p.m. Drug paraphernalia was discovered near his body and the initial investigation surrounding his passing centered on the possibility of an overdose, according to multiple reports.
Ben Golliver: Las Vegas Summer League honors Brandon Clarke with a moment of silence before Sunday’s championship game between the Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors. Clarke led the Grizzlies to the 2019 Las Vegas Summer League championship and was named MVP.
Advertisement
Six weeks before he died, Brandon Clarke sat in the back seat of a deputy’s patrol car, handcuffs digging into his left wrist as he shifted his 6-foot-8 frame in the cramped space. Outside, three officers searched his white Corvette along the shoulder of Highway 64 in eastern Arkansas. Across the two-lane road sat a steakhouse serving ribeye and deep-fried alligator, its empty parking lot waiting for the dinner regulars. Moments earlier, deputies had pulled over the Memphis Grizzlies forward with guns drawn, accusing him of attempting to flee at speeds topping 100 mph. But now, officers were more interested in the blue duffle bag on Clarke’s passenger seat. Reaching inside, they found seven smaller bags containing capsules of green powder and a few chewable tablets. They stacked them on the Corvette’s roof as Clarke watched from the cruiser’s backseat. “Sir, it’s all legal,” Clarke’s deep voice called out with calm certainty in an exchange captured by the cruiser’s dashcam and obtained by The Athletic.
The bags were labeled “100% Pure Mitragyna Speciosa,” with handwritten names such as “The Juice,” “Euflooria” and “Gold Rhino.” Online, the various strains totaled $223 and promised a “solid amount of relief,” “a speed boost” and “a mind and body melting burst of happiness in a plant.” Waiving his Miranda rights, Clarke quickly identified what had caught officers’ attention. “It’s just kratom,” he said. In the same botanical family as coffee, kratom has been used for centuries in Southeast Asia. In recent decades, it has developed a fervent following in the United States among people who say the kratom leaf – or its synthetic derivative 7-hydroxymitragynine, commonly known as 7-OH – helps manage chronic pain, kick opioid addictions and boost stamina.
– I’m sorry about the news with Brandon’s passing. How have you been holding up with everything? Cedric Coward: “I appreciate it. It’s been rough. But at the same time, I’m grateful for the time that I had with him. Now you honor his memory by winning games and doing what he was doing with being a great teammate.”