Saying farewell to BC, while embracing all he left behind.
BC.
Here in Memphis, all we needed were those two letters. Lob it to BC. Watch BC tip out that rebound. Actually, let’s just let BC go to work and then watch good things happen. For the Grizzlies and for Memphis.
Then, all too suddenly, Brandon Clarke was gone: We learned earlier this week that Brandon Clarke had died, at the tender age of 29 years old. It’s been almost unthinkable having to grapple with the sudden loss of a man who had become an integral part of our community, a stoic force for good both on and off the court. The Grizzlies were Brandon Clarke’s home for his entire NBA career. That connection between Grizz Nation and BC was stronger than most, which makes his absence hit harder. As Brandon’s close friend Jaren Jackson Jr. noted on Instagram, “I couldn’t imagine a world where this was even a possibility.”
We miss him because Brandon Clarke cared. He cared about improving, about improving his game. He cared about his teammates, cared about his friends, and cared about his community. He was the guy in the locker room always willing to speak to the media, even after a tough loss. He mentored teammates younger and older, always quick with an encouraging word or vote of confidence. It made BC valuable on the court, but even more so in all the days and hours when he wasn’t on the court.
Born in Canada and raised in Phoenix, Brandon Clarke was mostly an unknown quantity when the Grizzlies drafted him with the 21st overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. The NBA was so unprepared for BC’s selection that they had to re-use the same hat for BC that earlier Memphis pick Ja Morant had worn in his photos. Luckily, Clarke was about his business, no matter the role. When BC played at college basketball powerhouse Gonzaga, he’d had to fight his way from being a sixth man to becoming a third-team All-American, a modern basketball player who could zoom up and down the court, soar above the rim and display a feathery touch in the paint.
Still, BC had questions to address. One knock was his wingspan—while BC had an average reach, it wasn’t the preferred albatross-like numbers with which some players are blessed. He was 22 years old, which can work against players in the Draft process, as teams look to unearth increasingly younger gems. There was also the matter of Clarke’s jumpshot, which was still evolving from what his college coach, Mark Few, had termed as “really screwed-up looking.”
But at least one team believed in BC: The Grizzlies traded up to grab Clarke with the 21st overall pick, valuing his strengths rather than focusing on any perceived weaknesses. It quickly became apparent that this was the correct line of thinking, as Clarke led the Grizzlies to the 2019 Las Vegas Summer League title, winning Summer League MVP honors as well being named MVP of the Championship Game after posting 15 points and 16 rebounds in the title game.
He built on that momentum carrying into his rookie season, playing in 58 games, averaging 12.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, and being named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. As Pete and Brevin taught us to exclaim after yet another highlight play, “Shoutout Canada!”
BC quickly became an important rotation player for the Grizzlies, logging about 20 minutes per game and figuring out how his game best fit into what the Next Gen Grizz needed, night after night. Catching lobs was always an option, because there were few players in the NBA who could match BC’s springs. He developed a potent spin move to free himself up around the rim, tightened up that jump shot, and honed perhaps his most compelling weapon, a floater which neutralized taller defenders while taking advantage of Clarke’s leaping ability. Meanwhile, his ability to crash the glass became one the Grizzlies’ best rebounding options, and he could guard anyone along the opponent’s frontline.
While there are plenty of specific BC highlights to recall, the one foremost in my mind is from the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs, when the Grizzlies took on the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Grizzlies went with their customary starting lineup in Game 1 and lost 130-117. Pretty quickly in Game 2, the Grizzlies turned to BC, as a way to play smaller and with more pace. His backtap for a three to give the Grizzlies the lead in a pivotal Game 5 was a perfect BC play—all heart and hustle, making something out of nothing, pure grit and grind. Clarke ended up averaging 16.5 points and 9 rebounds per game in that series, helping the Grizzlies advance to the second round.
The last few seasons, injuries struck. And while Clarke battled to get back onto the court, BC remained just as impactful for Memphis off the floor, making appearances at local schools and donating to charities. He even established an eponymous foundation as he began to explore the differences he could make in his community.
And then, in the blink of an eye, we now find ourselves trying to understand what it means to be without BC. In the immediate aftermath of BC’s departure, we are consumed by sadness. The poet Thomas Lynch wrote that “grief is the tax we pay on the love of our lives.” It’s a bargain almost in reverse: You don’t get to experience all the good times without eventually having to face the sadness.
The thing is, we’d make that bargain every time. BC may no longer be with us, but the memories he made and legacy he left behind will be with us forever.
And for that, all we can say is thank you, BC.
by Lang Whitaker