Brandon Clarke's death caused by heroin and cocaine, medical examiner says
The death of Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke was caused by the effects of heroin and cocaine, the County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner announced Friday. Clarke's death was officially ruled an accident.
Per the medical examiner's statement, Clarke was found unresponsive in his bedroom at around 5 p.m. on May 11, with paramedics pronouncing his death at 5:15 p.m.
Clarke's death was announced by his agency on May 12. He was 29.
Clarke, who was selected by the Grizzlies in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft, spent his entire career with the franchise. The forward finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting after a strong first season in 2019-20, but his later years in Memphis were hampered by injuries.
In April, Clarke was arrested in Arkansas for reckless driving, and he allegedly had 200 grams of kratom in his car at the time. Kratom's legality varies from state to state, but the substance is illegal in Arkansas.
Shortly before that arrest, the Grizzlies had said Clarke would be out for the rest of the 2025-26 season due to rehabilitation on a right calf strain.
In the wake of Clarke's death, ARISE2Read, a nonprofit focused on improving literacy rates in Memphis that was supported by the forward's foundation, received hundreds of donations.
