R.I.P. Brandon Clarke

Brandon Clarke has passed away at the age of 29. This is very sad and upsetting to me.

For people that may not know who Brandon Clarke was, he was a professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies. As most of you know, I'm a Grizzlies fan. And Clarke was a bonafide fan favorite. When he wasn't injured, you just knew that when Clarke entered the game, he was going to give it his all and maybe make a play or two during his minutes on the floor.

I first became aware of Clarke during his college career at Gonzaga. He was newcomer of the year the season after he transferred there, he had to redshirt, and he was a third team all american. He also scored 35 points in a tournament game, surpassing Adam Morrison's Gonzaga record. He parlayed all of this into being the 21st overall selection in the 2019 NBA draft. The Thunder drafted him, but traded him about two weeks later to the Grizzlies, where he would spend his entire NBA career. He was a first team all rookie player and he became a spark plug off the bench. He would get anywhere from 20 to 22 minutes a game and he was a double digit scorer and 5 rebound a game player. He would come in, ignite some kind of run, get the crowd into the game and he was a blast to watch. I was fortunate enough to go to a few games live, and when he would enter the game the crowd would give him a nice ovation and he always did something cool at the games I attended.

Then he got hurt. He tore his achilles, and when he went out, the Grizzlies suffered. They needed his tenacity and grit. He embodied the team and the chemistry that they enjoyed when they were winning a lot of games. Him being out hurt rebounding and defense. He did all he could from the bench, but his absence on the floor was noticeable. He only played in two games last season, and only six the season before that. He did appear in 64 games during the 2023-24 season, but you could just tell that he wasn't the same player. The injury had a real effect on his game and what he did best.

About a month ago Clarke was pulled over, after a chase, for possession of a controlled substance. I really thought nothing of it at the time. I read that it was CBD, which I have used before, and just kind of dismissed it. I shouldn't have done that. There has been no release of the cause of death, but early reports seem to say that it may have been an accidental overdose. I don't know if that is true, I'm not reporting anything at all, but if true that is a real bummer. I know that the scene of his death there was drug paraphernalia found, and that is never a good sign.

Twenty nine is too young to be gone. He was a professional athlete in tremendous shape. I know he had an achilles injury, but that did not change the way he looked or how he felt. I'm worried that there may have been some undiagnosed, or not released mental health issues with Clarke. Mental health struggles are real and upsetting and I just wish, if this were the case, that Clarke would have sought help. The possibility of an accidental overdose is scary as well. You never seem to know what may be put in some substances these days, and I worry that Clarke may have just been trying to take his mind off things and overdid it. I'm also very upset for his family. Having a family member go so unexpectedly and so young is tragic and devastating.

I'm going to miss him as a fan of the Grizzlies and a fan of the game of basketball. Clarke was the quintessential bench spark plug that the Grizzlies needed. Rest In Peace Brandon Clarke. I hope you have found peace wherever you may be right now. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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