The NBA acknowledged the two tragic losses in the family ahead of Tuesday's playoff game ... with the San Antonio Spurs honoring both Brandon Clarke and Jason Collins prior to tipoff against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The fans at Frost Bank Center took part in a moment of silence for both players ... with P.A. announcer Roland Ruiz addressing the news with heartfelt words about both pros.
"The NBA family mourns the passing of two if its own -- Brandon Clarke, a beloved member of the Memphis Grizzlies since 2019, whose leadership and passion earned him respect throughout the Memphis community and around the league, passed away at the age of 29, and 13-year NBA player and NBA Cares ambassador Jason Collins died after a long battle with brain cancer," the Ruiz announced.
Brandon Clarke's body has officially been cleared to be released to his family ... but the mystery surrounding his sudden death remains unclear.
According to the Los Angeles Medical Examiner's website, the ME has declared the NBA star's body ready for release, however his cause and manner of death is currently deferred ... pending additional testing as authorities investigate.
As we previously reported, Clarke’s death came just days before he was due in court to face multiple criminal charges, including trafficking a controlled substance and felony fleeing.
The Los Angeles Fire Department PIO confirmed to TMZ Sports they responded to a medical emergency call around 5 PM on Monday ... and when paramedics got to the scene, the 29-year-old male was declared deceased.
TMZ Sports confirmed his death is being investigated as a possible overdose ... with officials finding drug paraphernalia inside the home the Memphis Grizzlies player was staying at.
The Grizzlies released a statement Tuesday saying, "We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke" ... adding, "Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an even better person whose impact on the organization and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten."
Brandon Clarke's death is being investigated as a possible overdose ... with officials finding drug paraphernalia inside the home the Memphis Grizzlies player was staying at on Monday, TMZ Sports has confirmed.
The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a medical emergency call around 5 PM on Monday ... and when paramedics got to the scene, Clarke was declared deceased, first reported by NBC4.
An autopsy will determine the cause and manner of death.
The NBA is devastated by Brandon Clarke's death ... with the Memphis Grizzlies player's teammates over the years sharing heartfelt tributes on social media.
Kyle Anderson, who had two stints with the Grizzlies, said he was "so f***in hurt" by the loss ... adding, "I love u so much brother i wish i coulda been there for u im so f***in hurt man."
Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarkeis in hot water -- the NBA player was arrested Wednesday in Arkansas after a run-in with law enforcement.
Clarke was booked just after 1 PM local time by the Cross County Sheriff’s Department … with the Sheriff saying the 29-year-old is facing allegations of speeding, reckless driving and possession of a controlled substance, according tolocal reports.
Draymond Green's wish isn't getting granted anytime soon -- relocating the Memphis Grizzlies to Nashville isn't on the Music City mayor's to-do list.
The Golden State Warriors star has been vocal about how he doesn't like playing in Memphis ... and recently, he went as far as to say he'd love it if the NBA relocated the Grizzlies 200 miles east.
"Do everybody a favor and move that team to Nashville," Green said on his podcast this week.
"There's no great hotels in Memphis. I love the people of Memphis. They are incredible. Shout out to the people of Memphis. I love them, but just from an NBA standpoint, man -- there's not a sauna or a hot tub in sight."
Fantasy basketball players searching for a breakout NBAer in 2025-26, look no further ... Scotty Pippen Jr. just guaranteed to TMZ Sports "this year is going to be big for me!"
The Grizzlies guard -- who's the son of Scottie Pippen -- chopped it up with us out at LAX this week ... and he made it clear, his third season in the NBA will be his best.
He told us he's been training out in Los Angeles ... and while there's still a few months left until Memphis' first game, he's "confident."
Stephen A. Smithsparked quite the controversy after claiming NBA players avoid signing with the Grizzlies due to safety concerns in Memphis ... and while Danny Greensays the talking head "isn't far off" with his take, he tells TMZ Sports it's more so due to the fact it's "not a pretty city" in general.
We caught up with Green -- who had a very short stint in Memphis (we're talking three games here) back in the 2022-23 season -- at LAX this week ... and he weighed in more on the city's apparent obstacles to landing free agents.
Stephen A. Smith says NBA players have told him they would feel unsafe playing in a city like Memphis
"Cats like Jimmy Butler and others don’t feel like it’s the safest environment. I’m talking to the local authorities in Memphis"
"I just don't think it's a destination city," he said. "Nashville is one of the cities that people enjoy. Memphis, it is in Tennessee so you get a tax cut. It's good on taxes, but it's just not a city that's pretty, people would say."
Memphis Grizzlies rookie Jaylen Wells was stretchered off the court after a brutal fall during a dunk attempt in Tuesday night's game ... and while he suffered a broken wrist as a result of the tumble, he's fortunate it was not more serious.
The frightening incident happened during the second quarter of the Grizzlies' road matchup against the Charlotte Hornets ... when Wells -- averaging 10.4 points this season -- went up for a one-handed slam.
Here is the full moment captured by the Hornets broadcast team.
Once Wells was airborne, he took a hard foul from Hornets guard KJ Simpson ... causing him to plummet onto the Spectrum Center court and seemingly hitting his head in the process.
Ja Morant went to his weapon wheel for his latest celebration ... electing for a "grenade" instead of his go-to "gun" gesture in Tuesday night's game.
The Memphis Grizzlies star debuted the move against the Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center ... days after he was handed a $75,000 fine for pretending to unload a firearm on multiple occasions in competition, which the NBA publicly warned him to stop doing.
Morant apparently can't help but channel his inner "Call of Duty" as he goes to war on the court ... 'cause he mimicked the explosive-tossing stunt throughout the night -- acting like he was pulling a pin with his teeth and covering his ears.
8:55 AM PT -- The NBA just announced it's fined Ja Morant $75,000 for the finger-gun gestures.
In announcing the punishment, the league noted it warned Morant prior to Thursday's Grizzlies vs. Heat tilt that the acts "could be interpreted in a negative light."
Ja Morant made more references to firearms on Thursday night ... just hours after the NBA reportedly told him not to.
Things got intense on the Grizzlies' bench in a matchup with the Jazz on Tuesday ... with Desmond Bane forcefully shoving his own teammate during a timeout.
The incident went down early in the contest at the Delta Center ... when Utah came out the gates strong offensively.
As Memphis called for a break in the action, Bane was caught on video yelling at Santi Aldama to get a stop on defense ... and then extending his arms to push him into a seat.
Ja Morant had more than $1 million worth of items taken from his home back in December ... with the Memphis Grizzlies superstar getting hit in the same burglary sting that affected Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Joe Burrow and more.
Local outlets report the 25-year-old guard was "Professional Athlete 6" named in the federal complaint that was unsealed earlier this week ... which stated valuables were jacked from the crib while Morant was at the FedExForum to play against the Golden State Warriors.
Morant had nine points that night ... with the Grizzlies beating the Dubs, 144-93.
Luka Doncic wasn't just droppin' buckets on Tuesday ... the NBA star seemingly mouthed a soap-worthy phrase after receiving a controversial technical foul.
The apparent remark happened during the NBA Cup matchup between the Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center ... when a referee whistled a foul on the 6'7" guard as he was defending Ja Morant.
Doncic disagreed with the call and waved off the ref ... and the gesture resulted in his fifth tech of the season.
Joel Embiid just got hit with a suspension as a result of his physical altercation with a reporter ... receiving a three-game ban for his actions after the Sixers' loss to the Grizzlies on Saturday.
The whole issue stemmed from a column from Marcus Hayes of the Philadelphia Inquirer ... who criticized Embiid's absence from games -- making questionable comments about his late brother and son in the process.
Embiid confronted Hayes at Wells Fargo Arena shortly after the weekend matchup with Memphis ... reportedly saying, "The next time you bring up my dead brother and my son again, you are going to see what I’m going to do to you and I'm going to have to ... live with the consequences."
