The Memphis Grizzlies player died in a residence on Monday, May 11, per the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner
Credit: Grant Burke/NBAE via Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Brandon Clarke died on Monday, May 11 at 29 years old
- The Memphis Grizzlies player’s body is now ready to be released as of Tuesday, May 12, per the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office’s website
- His cause of death has been deferred
Brandon Clarke's body is ready to be released one day after his death.
The Memphis Grizzlies player died in a residence on Monday, May 11, per the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office website. As of Tuesday, May 12, his body has been declared ready for release.
Clarke's cause of death is deferred, the medical examiner's office said on its website. The medical examiner's office can defer determining a cause of death in cases where additional testing is necessary, the agency's website notes.
The NBA team announced Clarke's death in a statement on X Tuesday afternoon.
“We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke,” the Grizzlies, where Clarke played his entire seven-year NBA career, began in its statement. “Brandon was an outstanding teammate and 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 6-foot-7 veteran forward was drafted No. 21 in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder and traded weeks later to Memphis. The former Gonzaga standout suffered a Grade 2 calf strain, a season-ending injury, during a game against the Washington Wizards in December 2025.
In a social media statement on March 24, the Grizzlies said that while Clarke's condition was improving, new images showed that "additional healing is required prior to clearance for high-intensity court work."
Just weeks before his death, Clarke was arrested in Arkansas on drug and speeding charges, according to online jail records.
His death is reportedly being investigated as a possible overdose after he was pronounced dead shortly after 5 p.m. on Monday. The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) had arrived at a home in the San Fernando Valley, responding to a 911 call, according to NBC4 in Los Angeles. Drug paraphernalia was found at the scene, the station reported.
Clarke's agency, Priority Sports, was the first to confirm his death.
“We are beyond devastated by the passing of Brandon Clarke,” Priority Sports said in the statement. “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.”
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The statement continued, “From high school to San Jose State to Gonzaga to the Grizzlies, Brandon impacted everyone who was part of his life. Everyone loved BC because he was always there as the most supportive friend you could ever imagine. 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.”
PEOPLE has reached out to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office for comment.
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