I am heartbroken
Brandon Clarke should not have died
My phone chimed while I was watching NBA combine agility drills. I saw it was an agent; I knew he’d be complaining how silly most of this combine stuff is.
Instead, it was a hammer: Brandon Clarke had died at the age of 29.
I never met Brandon, but I’ve been hearing about him for years from various teammates and coaches. People loved Brandon Clarke.
I stopped watching the combine and started calling. I spoke to some of his Memphis Grizzlies teammates. I spoke to competitors. I spoke to Gonzaga alumni, former teammates, and others who crossed paths with him.
Everyone sounded lifeless, shocked, too sad for words. One player said Brandon brought big-volume joy to the gym every day, even when Brandon was injured. Another young player remembered a hard time when he was not getting meaningful playing time: “A…
