Medical examiner rules Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke's death an accidental overdose of heroin and cocaine

The Los Angeles County medical examiner's office announced Friday that the death of 29-year-old Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke was caused by the combined effects of heroin and cocaine, and ruled the incident an accident. The report also listed the combined effects of multiple prescription medications as a significant condition, though the specific drugs were not identified.

Clarke was found unresponsive in a bedroom at a home in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley on the evening of May 11. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene, and narcotics were discovered at the location. Authorities said there was no evidence of foul play.

The Grizzlies, where Clarke spent his entire seven-season career after being drafted from Gonzaga, issued a statement saying, "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, a former first-round pick, had averaged 10.2 points and 5.5 rebounds over 309 games. Injuries limited his playing time in recent seasons, and he missed the entire 2023-24 campaign with a torn Achilles. In April, while recovering from injury, he faced charges in Arkansas for possession and trafficking of a controlled substance after police found a duffel bag containing roughly 1,200 pills. Clarke claimed the pills were "just kratom," a substance legal in some states but illegal in Arkansas. The medical examiner did not disclose whether kratom was present in his system at the time of death.