Brandon Clarke's Family, Other Posts on Instagram Are Heartbreaking: 'I Feel Alive'
Brandon Clarke's recent Instagram posts are a heartbreaking read in the wake of the Memphis Grizzlies player's death at the age of just 29.
His cause of death is not clear, but it's being investigated as a "possible overdose," according to NBC Los Angeles and TMZ. His Instagram posts were fairly sparse in recent months, but they focused on basketball, family, his mother, and leisure time. It doesn't appear that Clarke had a wife, and it's not clear whether he had a girlfriend, but he posted a photo at a family wedding. He gave a shout-out to his mom, Whitney Triplett, writing, "Happy Mother's Day to the most amazing person in my life!!! Love you more and more everyday " He did not post photos of any girlfriend on Instagram.
In 2022, he shared a series of photos showing him with friends and the now chilling caption, "but I feel alive ." The post is now filled with tributes. "Prayers up to his family. we gon miss you brodie ," wrote a person.
Brandon Clarke's Instagram Photos Don't Show Any Hints of Trouble
Clarke's final Instagram post came on April 13, and it shows him on the basketball court with his arm around the shoulder of another player. In September 2025, he shared a photo showing him relaxing on a lounge chair. That photo collage also showed him posing with a luxury sports car and showing off his torso tattoos.
Clarke shared a series of photos from his sister's wedding in June of 2024, writing, "My big sis got married !!! Congrats to her and my new brother, David. Was an amazing time for everyone "
In 2023, he shared photos showing him getting a tattoo and wrote, "Become one with the pain, it's part of the experience thank you to my insanely talented brother @antmikes for killing another tattoo with me "
Brandon Clarke's Mom Whitney Triplett Fought Hard for His Basketball Success
Clarke appeared close to his mom on Instagram. According to Andscape, she fought for his basketball career success.
San Jose State assistant coach Tyler Ojanen told Clarke to "enroll in school for a year, and pay tuition on his own if the scholarship didn't work out," but "he was interrupted by Clarke's mother, Whitney Triplett, who was seated in the back seat," according to Andscape.
"Coach, I know you've never seen my son play," Triplett said. "When you do, you're going to fall in love with him. I promise you that."
Brandon Clarke Opened Up About the Injuries He Suffered
Clarke had injuries over the years.
In 2023, he wrote, "been keeping to myself, been healing great ."
"If you don't know by now, I tore my achilles playing March 3rd, I wanna start by saying thank you to everyone who has reached out to support me, it has really helped me stay positive these early days after surgery" he wrote on Instagram in 2023.
"I don't really know what to say, had so many difficult emotions to deal with, i'n definitely devastated, but I am also very motivated to work hard through this process n come out stronger not only physically, but mentally," he added. "I am very upset it's the end to my season personally, but i'm very excited to watch my teammates finish out this season strong Playing this season was a blast, imma keep my focus n i'll be back on my feet ."
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 12, 2026, where it first appeared in the Sports section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 4:46 PM.