Brandon Clarke Bio
Brandon Clarke (September 19, 1996 – May 11, 2026) was a Canadian-American professional basketball player who spent his entire NBA career as a power forward for the Memphis Grizzlies. He played college basketball for the San José State Spartans and the Gonzaga Bulldogs before being selected 21st overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2019 NBA draft and immediately traded to Memphis. During his rookie season he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, establishing himself as one of the league’s most promising young forwards before a series of major knee injuries curtailed his later seasons.
Brandon Clarke Early Life and Background
Early Life and Background
Brandon Clarke was born on September 19, 1996, in Vancouver, British Columbia, to a Canadian mother, Whitney Triplett, and a Jamaican father, Steve Clarke. At age three, Clarke moved with his family to Phoenix, Arizona, where he spent the rest of his childhood. He eventually became a dual citizen of Canada and the United States, a background that helped shape his identity throughout his basketball career.
Clarke attended Desert Vista High School in Phoenix, where he emerged as one of the top prospects in the state. He was named an All-Arizona Division I honoree by the Arizona Republic after leading Desert Vista to the state championship game in 2015. His high-school performance drew attention from college recruiters across the country and set the stage for his move into collegiate basketball.
Path to Basketball
After high school, Clarke joined the San José State Spartans, where he played two seasons of college basketball from 2015 to 2017. As a freshman, he was named Mountain West Conference Sixth Man of the Year after averaging 10.1 points and 7.3 rebounds in conference play. As a sophomore, he elevated his game, averaging 17.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, and 2.3 assists, earning First-team All-Mountain West and Mountain West All-Defensive Team honors.
Following his sophomore season, Clarke transferred to Gonzaga University, where he redshirted the 2017–18 season before returning to the floor. In his junior year with the Bulldogs, he was named the West Coast Conference’s Newcomer of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first player in WCC history to win both awards in the same season. He was also a third-team All-American by The Sporting News, capping one of the most decorated individual seasons in Gonzaga history.
On March 23, 2019, Clarke scored a career-high 36 points with eight rebounds, five blocks, and three assists in an 83–71 NCAA tournament win over ninth-seeded Baylor. He became only the third player in NCAA tournament history to record at least 35 points and five blocks in a single game, joining Shaquille O’Neal and David Robinson. He also broke the Gonzaga record for points in an NCAA tournament game, a mark previously held by Adam Morrison.
Brandon Clarke Career
Early Career (2019–2020)
Clarke was selected 21st overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2019 NBA draft and was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies on draft night for the draft rights to Darius Bazley and a future second-round pick. He wasted little time making an impact, winning Most Valuable Player honors at the 2019 NBA Summer League after posting four double-doubles and recording 15 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks in the championship game. He became the second non-American to win Summer League MVP and the first non-American to also take home championship-game MVP honors.
He made his regular-season debut on October 23, 2019, coming off the bench with eight points, seven rebounds, an assist, and a block in a loss to the Miami Heat. By December he had set a career high of 27 points, first against the Oklahoma City Thunder and later matching it in a win over the Portland Trail Blazers. He represented the World Team at the 2020 Rising Stars Challenge with 22 points and eight rebounds before a right quadriceps injury cut his rookie year short. He finished the season as a member of the 2019–20 NBA All-Rookie First Team.
Memphis Grizzlies Breakthrough (2020–2022)
The Grizzlies picked up Clarke’s 2021–22 team option in December 2020, and he responded with a season-high 21 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and two blocks in a January 2021 win over the Brooklyn Nets. Memphis returned to the postseason for the first time since 2017, and Clarke made his playoff debut on May 29, 2021, during a first-round series against the Utah Jazz.
The following season he scored 22 points in a January 2022 win over the Jazz, then turned in his best playoff stretch against the Minnesota Timberwolves. On April 26, 2022, he set playoff career highs with 21 points and 15 rebounds in a 111–109 Game 5 win, and three days later he added 17 points, eleven rebounds, five assists, and three blocks as Memphis closed out the series in Game 6. The Grizzlies were eliminated in the second round by the Golden State Warriors in six games.
Memphis Grizzlies Era (2022–2026)
On October 16, 2022, Clarke signed a four-year, $52 million contract extension with Memphis, locking in his long-term future with the franchise. His third full season, however, was cut short on March 3, 2023, when he tore his left Achilles in a loss to the Denver Nuggets. He appeared in 64 games (18 starts) during the 2024–25 campaign, averaging 8.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.0 assists, before a high-grade PCL sprain in his right knee ended his season in March 2025.
Offseason knee synovitis required an arthroscopic procedure in September 2025, and he managed only two appearances during the 2025–26 NBA season, posting 4.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game. A right calf strain ruled him out for the remainder of that season in March 2026.
Driving Style and Strengths
Although best known as a power forward, Clarke was widely regarded for his versatility and defensive instincts rather than pure physicality. He excelled as a rim protector, a transition finisher, and an off-ball cutter, and his 2019 Gonzaga tape showcased a quick second jump and a soft touch around the basket. His high basketball IQ allowed him to thrive in pick-and-roll actions and as a connective piece alongside ball-dominant guards.
Notable Events and Milestones
Clarke authored one of the most memorable individual NCAA tournament performances in recent memory with his 36-point, 8-rebound, 5-block effort against Baylor in 2019. He set a Gonzaga record for points in a tournament game, joined an elite list of shot-blockers, won Summer League MVP in his first professional summer, and earned All-Rookie First Team honors the following spring. Each milestone underscored a player whose ceiling appeared to stretch well beyond what his later injuries would allow him to reach.
Brandon Clarke Career Wins
While Clarke never won an NBA championship or an individual league scoring title, his résumé featured several individual awards at the college and professional levels. He was named Mountain West Sixth Man of the Year, First-team All-Mountain West, WCC Defensive Player of the Year, WCC Newcomer of the Year, and an All-American, and he was later selected to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
College Highlights
At San José State, Clarke won Mountain West Sixth Man of the Year in 2016 and First-team All-Mountain West honors in 2017, establishing himself as one of the conference’s top two-way players. After transferring to Gonzaga, he swept the WCC’s Newcomer of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2019, becoming the first player in conference history to claim both in the same season. He capped that year with a third-team All-American selection from The Sporting News and a record-setting NCAA tournament game against Baylor.
NBA Highlights
Clarke captured MVP honors at the 2019 NBA Summer League, the first non-American to win both the overall and championship-game MVPs in the event’s history. He followed that with an All-Rookie First Team selection in 2020 and a memorable 21-point, 15-rebound playoff performance against the Timberwolves in April 2022. Across his NBA career he totaled 3,144 points, 1,689 rebounds, and 410 assists in regular-season play.
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Brandon Clarke Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Clarke was raised in a bicultural household by his Canadian mother, Whitney Triplett, and his Jamaican father, Steve Clarke. The family moved from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Phoenix, Arizona, when Brandon was three years old, and he grew up as a dual citizen of Canada and the United States.
Personal Life
In 2025, Clarke launched the Brandon Clarke Foundation, a charity that supported literacy and mentorship efforts, including work with ARISE2Read, and hosted youth events in Memphis. On April 1, 2026, he was arrested in Cross County, Arkansas, on charges related to controlled substances and traffic offenses. He was released on bond and was scheduled to appear at a May 15 arraignment in Forrest City, Arkansas. Clarke died on May 11, 2026, in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 29, with his death being investigated as a possible overdose.
2025 Season Performance
Clarke appeared in 64 games (18 starts) for the Grizzlies during the 2024–25 NBA season, averaging 8.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game. His production was a step below his early-career output, though he remained a reliable defender and energy big off the bench when healthy. On March 22, 2025, however, the season was cut short when he was diagnosed with a high-grade PCL sprain in his right knee, ending his campaign.
The injury triggered another long rehabilitation process, and on September 26, 2025, the Grizzlies announced that Clarke would undergo an arthroscopic procedure to address knee synovitis suffered during offseason training. He managed only two appearances during the 2025–26 NBA season, averaging 4.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 0.5 assists, before a right calf strain ruled him out for the remainder of the year in March 2026.
