The Los Angeles Medical Examiner has cleared the body of Grizzlies player Brandon Clarke to be released to his family.
The ME’s website showed the body was declared “ready for release” and that the cause and manner of death were deferred “pending additional investigation.”
It has been widely reported that Clarke’s death is being investigated as a possible overdose.
Clarke, 29, was pronounced dead by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics who responded to a 911 call to a residence in the San Fernando Valley shortly after 5 p.m. local time.
His death also followed an April 1 arrest in Arkansas on charges of trafficking a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, fleeing in a vehicle exceeding the speed limit and improper passing.
The Cross County Sheriff’s Office said it discovered 235.6 grams of kratom in Clarke’s car during a traffic stop, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by The California Post.
He was pulled over for allegedly “passing several vehicles in a no-passing zone at well over 100 mph.” Officers found the kratom in a blue duffel bag on the passenger seat of the Corvette he was driving.
NBC4 in Los Angeles reported that drug paraphernalia was discovered in the residence where Clarke’s body was found.
“We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke,” the Grizzlies said in a statement. “Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an ever better person whose impact on the organization and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten. We express our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”
Clarke was selected with the 21st overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and spent all seven years of his NBA career in Memphis.
He was limited to just two games this season due to knee and calf injuries.
