By admin 
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — An NBA player who graduated high school in the Valley has died at 29 years old.
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The Memphis Grizzlies announced Tuesday morning that forward Brandon Clarke has died. Clarke was with the Grizzlies for all of his seven NBA seasons.
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The Grizzlies organization released a public statement mourning Clarke’s death, saying he was “an outstanding teammate and an even better person whose impact on the organization and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver also shared a statement in remembrance of Clarke.
“We are devastated to learn of the passing of Brandon Clarke. As 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. Our thoughts and sympathies are with Brandon’s family, friends and the Grizzlies organization,” Silver’s statement read.
No details were released about how Clarke died.
Clarke was born in Canada and moved to Phoenix as a young child. He attended Desert Vista High School in Ahwatukee, where he was named an All-Arizona Division 1 honoree when he led Desert Vista to the state title game in 2015.
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After playing college basketball at Gonzaga, he was drafted 21st overall in 2019 by Oklahoma City and was immediately traded to Memphis. Clarke was a promising rookie in 2019-20 and was named to the All-Rookie team that season.
In his seven-year career with Memphis, Clarke averaged 10.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. He had been dealing with a calf injury that caused him to miss the majority of the 2025-26 season.
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