Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke has died at the age of 29, the NBA team has confirmed.
The Canada-born player was a first-round draft pick in 2019 and had played only two games this season because of injuries.
The Grizzlies said they are “heartbroken” by the loss. A cause of death has not yet been revealed.
“Brandon was an outstanding team-mate and an even better person whose impact on the organisation and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten,” the team said in a statement.
Clarke played 309 NBA games, including 50 starts, and scored an average of 10.2 points per game.
He was arrested in Arkansas last month on charges that included speeding and possession of a controlled substance.
Clarke was born in Vancouver and was a dual citizen of Canada and the USA, having moved with his family to Phoenix when he was three.
After playing college basketball at San Jose State and then Gonzaga, he was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder and traded to the Grizzlies soon after.
His only two games this season were in December, although he travelled to the UK in January for the Grizzlies’ win over the Orlando Magic in London.
“He was so loved by all of us here and everyone whose life he touched,” read a statement by his agency, Priority Sports.
“He was the gentlest soul who was the first to be there for all of his friends and family.”
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement: “As one of the longest-tenured members of the Grizzlies, Brandon was a beloved team-mate and leader who played the game with enormous passion and grit.”
By BBC News
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