Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke, a veteran of 7 NBA seasons, dies at 29

Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke has died, the NBA team and his agents announced Tuesday, and a person familiar with the investigation into his death said an autopsy was planned to determine the exact cause.

The 29-year-old Clarke was found dead Monday at a home in the Los Angeles area, and emergency personnel who responded to the scene found drug paraphernalia in the home, said the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because those details were not released publicly.

Neither the Grizzlies nor Clarke's agency, Priority Sports, provided any details about the nature of Clarke's death.

“We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke. Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an even better person whose impact on the organization and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten," read a statement from the Grizzlies.

His agents wrote on social media that they were “beyond devastated.”

“He was so loved by all of us here and everyone whose life he touched,” read the statement from Priority Sports. “He was the gentlest soul who was the first to be there for all of his friends and family.”

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver expressed sympathies to Clarke’s family and friends and the Grizzlies organization.

“We are devastated to learn of the passing of Brandon Clarke,” Silver said. “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.”

Clarke was the 21st overall pick out of Gonzaga in the 2019 NBA draft by Oklahoma City, which dealt his rights to the Grizzlies.

He was fourth in the 2019-20 Rookie of the Year balloting — his Grizzlies teammate Ja Morant was the overwhelming winner of that award — and was 11th in the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year voting for the 2021-22 season.

Clarke averaged 10.2 points and 5.5 rebounds in 309 career NBA games.

He averaged 16.9 points in his one season at Gonzaga, transferring there after starting his college career at San Jose State. At Gonzaga, he was a huge part of a team that also had Rui Hachimura — now with the Los Angeles Lakers — and went 33-4.

“He had such a kind, gentle and warm soul, and I will remember the great smile he had on his face whenever you were around him,” read a statement from Gonzaga and its coach, Mark Few. “BC was one of the most easygoing players we have ever had, and he was part of one of the greatest teams in our program’s history.”

Clarke was arrested April 1 in Arkansas for speeding and possession of a controlled substance that was reportedly kratom, an herbal supplement promoted as an alternative pain remedy that becomes illegal in Tennessee as of July 1. He was released on bond a day later.

Health officials have been warning about the risks of an opioid-related chemical known as 7-hydroxymitragynine and a component of kratom. The plant native to Southeast Asia has gained popularity in the U.S. as an unapproved treatment for pain, anxiety and drug dependence.

A federal report in 2019 found overdose deaths involving kratom were more common than previously reported. Most who died had also taken heroin, fentanyl or others, though officials counted a few instances in which kratom was the only substance listed.

“love you broski. gone way too soon,” Morant wrote in an Instagram post Tuesday.

Clarke joined Morant on the NBA's All-Rookie team in 2020, and the Grizzlies gave him a multiyear contract extension in October 2022.

But injuries dogged him for more than three years. He tore his left Achilles tendon on March 3, 2023, in a loss to the Denver Nuggets in a showdown of what were then the top two teams in the Western Conference. Injuries limited him to 72 of a possible 246 games over the past three seasons, including only two this season.

“This is an incredible loss for the brotherhood," the National Basketball Players Association said. "We will remember Brandon not only for the immense joy he brought to so many throughout his career, but for the genuine friendships he built far beyond basketball.”

Clarke was under contract for the 2026-27 season with Memphis, which went 25-57 this season. The San Antonio Spurs paid tribute to Clarke with a moment of silence — both for him and former NBA player Jason Collins, whose death was announced Tuesday — before a playoff game Tuesday night.

Clarke's “leadership and passion earned him respect throughout the Memphis community and around the league,” the Spurs said.

AP Sports Writers Teresa M. Walker and Anne M. Peterson contributed to this report.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

FILE - Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke (15) shoots against Washington Wizards center Alex Sarr (20) in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Dec. 20, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

FILE - Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke looks on from the bench in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Feb. 3, 2026, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill, File)

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Britain's legal watchdog announced on Tuesday that it has upheld a suspension for the International Criminal Court's embattled chief prosecutor over allegations of sexual misconduct, banning him from practicing law in his home country.

The global court’s oversight body votes later this month on whether to remove Karim Khan from office. The 56-year-old faces allegations related to a female aide, a scandal that has dragged on for more than two years. He has denied wrongdoing.

In June, the U.K.'s Bar Standards Board suspended Khan, a measure adopted “in very serious and urgent cases,” according to the regulator, following a complaint. After a hearing last week, the bar association upheld the decision while disciplinary proceedings are underway.

Khan’s lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

It comes as the ICC faces increasing threats from the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, which has long criticized the court. The ICC was created to be a last resort for pursuing the most serious international crimes: war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and aggression.

On Monday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the U.S. was launching a “sweeping campaign to dismantle the threat posed by the International Criminal Court to U.S. sovereignty.”

Rubio said he will pressure the court's 125 member states to withdraw from the institution, sanction organizations that work with the court and ban staff from traveling to the United States. Countries that “enjoy the benefits of the U.S. security umbrella” will be called upon to reject the court's jurisdiction over U.S. citizens.

Trump’s administration already has brought sanctions against Khan and a dozen other ICC staff in retaliation for warrants the court has issued for top Israeli officials over the war in Gaza and investigations into U.S. personnel in Afghanistan.

The Rome Statute, which created the ICC in 2002, gives the court jurisdiction over crimes that happen on the territory of member states or that are committed by nationals of member states. The U.S. signed the treaty but did not ratify it.

The European Union condemned the new U.S. announcement. “We are already facilitating all appropriate measures, including diplomatic, legal and financial avenues, that could help ensure the continuity of the ICC’s operations,” European Commission spokesperson Siobhan McGarry told reporters.

The sanctions have hit the court hard. Typically reserved for autocrats and crime bosses, sanctions can be devastating. They prevent the ICC officials and their families from entering the U.S., block their access to even basic financial services and extend to the minutiae of their everyday lives.

The decision on Khan’s fate is now up to the Assembly of States Parties, the body that oversees the ICC, which will hold a special session on July 24 at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

Days before the British sanction, the executive committee of the ICC’s oversight body concluded that Khan had committed serious misconduct and recommended that he be removed from office.

The allegations against Khan were first reported to the court’s independent watchdog. An Associated Press investigation revealed that Khan was alleged to have seen the woman working in another ICC department and moved her into his office. She later became a regular presence on official trips, according to whistleblower documents.

On one foreign trip, Khan allegedly asked her to rest with him on a hotel bed and then “sexually touched her,” the documents said. Other alleged nonconsensual behavior cited in the documents included locking the door of his office and sticking his hand in her pocket. He also allegedly asked her several times to accompany him on a vacation.

Associated Press writer Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed.

FILE - Karim Khan, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, looks up prior to a press conference in The Hague, Netherlands, July 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File)