For six-plus seasons, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Brandon Clarke developed a bond that had the former feeling as if Clarke if had become his “twin.”
All those long practice hours with the Grizzlies, time on the road and meals in odd places allowed the two to grow close as if they were family members.
That special connection made it all the harder for the Jazz big man when he learned that Clarke died at the age of 29 on Monday.
View this post on Instagram “I couldn’t imagine a world where this was even a possibility. I love you forever brother, this is absolutely devastating. I just wish i could talk to you. You were so much to so many and even more to me,” Jackson posted on Instagram on Wednesday. “I will never have the words to describe what this feels like. I still can’t believe this. To your family and friends and everyone you were always a light and you were always so genuine and real and our friendship went far beyond anything on the court.
“I truly lost my twin. I’m still going to be talking to you always. You will be forever loved and forever missed.”
Clarke, who joined the Grizzlies for the 2019-20 season, one year after Jackson’s debut campaign, was found dead at a residence in San Fernando Valley on Monday night, according to NBC Los Angeles.
Police are investigating the death as a potential overdose after they found drug paraphernalia at the California abode, and an autopsy will reveal the official cause.
Jaren Jackson Jr. (r) and Brandon Clarke (l) in 2022. Getty Images This past season marked Clarke’s seventh with Memphis, and he and Jackson helped lead the team to four playoff berths during their time together.
Memphis made the playoffs with the two in three straight seasons from 2021-23, including a conference semifinals run in 2013, and then returned again in 2025.
This year marked the second down season in the last three years and the Grizzlies sent Jackson to the Jazz in an attempt to rebuild.
Clarke only appeared in two games for Memphis this past year while battling injuries.
