Former San José State men’s basketball player Brandon Clarke was found dead in San Fernando on Monday at 29-years-old.
The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a 911 call around 5 p.m. at a residence in San Fernando, where Clarke was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a May 12 USA Today article.
The cause of death has not been determined, though the incident is being investigated as a possible overdose after narcotics were found at the scene with no signs of foul play, according to a May 12 ABC7 Eyewitness News article.
Clarke’s death comes less than six weeks after he was arrested in Arkansas in early April for allegedly possessing 230 grams of kratom while driving more than 100 mph, according to a May 12 USA Today article.
Clarke played for SJSU from 2015 to 2017. As a freshman, he averaged 10.1 points per game and was the first freshman and Spartan to be named the Mountain West Sixth Man of the Year, according to a San José State Athletics webpage.
Ricardo Delgado, a fourth-year business administration student, said he got the chance to watch Clarke play multiple times.
“He was a fan favorite for sure,” Delgado said. “A lot of his dunks were momentum plays. San José State went on a lot of runs back then … Brandon Clarke would be at the center of it. His plays would get the fans out of their seats.”
Clarke was drafted into the National Basketball Association by the Memphis Grizzlies in 2019, where he played seven seasons as one of the team’s longest-tenured players, according to an ESPN webpage.
The Grizzlies released a statement following Clarke’s death.
“We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke,” the statement read. “Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an even better person whose impact on the organization and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten.”
Clarke was an active member of the Memphis community, founding the Brandon Clarke Foundation in 2025, which supports initiatives like ARISE2Read to help improve children’s literacy outside the classroom.
Grizzlies fans also showed their connection to him by creating a memorial outside FedExForum, the team’s home arena, according to a May 13 Yahoo Sports article.
Priority Sports & Entertainment, Clarke’s sports agency, released a statement on X on May 12 that expressed condolences to his family.
“He was so loved by all of us here and everyone whose life he touched,” the statement read. “He was the gentlest soul and was always the first to be there for his friends and family. Our hearts are broken as we think about his mom, Whitney, his entire family and all of his friends and teammates.”
Clarke led the team with 17.3 points per game during his sophomore season at SJSU and earned All-Mountain West First Team and All-Defensive Team honors, according to the same San José State Athletics webpage.
“I think he should be remembered as a guy who did things the right way,” Delgado said. “He never really complained. He didn’t talk a lot of trash. He just played his game and didn’t let anybody get to him.”
After two years at San José State, Clarke transferred to Gonzaga University in 2017, where he finished his college career.
The San José State men’s basketball team issued an X statement on May 12 regarding Clarke’s death.
“Our condolences to the Clarke family,” the program said in the statement. “We are saddened by the news, and his impact at San José State will never be forgotten.”
