Brandon Clarke facts for kids
Clarke with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2020
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| No. 15 – Memphis Grizzlies | |
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| Power forward / centre | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | September 19, 1996 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| Nationality | Canadian / American |
| High school | Desert Vista (Phoenix, Arizona) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College |
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| NBA Draft | 2019 / Round: 1 / Pick: 21st overall |
| Selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder | |
| Pro career | 2019–present |
| League | NBA |
| Career history | |
| 2019–present | Memphis Grizzlies |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Brandon Clarke (born September 19, 1996) is a professional basketball player. He plays for the Memphis Grizzlies in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Brandon is both Canadian and American.
He played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs and San José State University Spartans. In 2019, he was picked 21st overall in the 2019 NBA draft. He was then traded to the Grizzlies. In 2020, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, which means he was one of the best new players in the league.
Early Life
Brandon Clarke was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. His mother is Canadian and his father is Jamaican. When he was three years old, his family moved to Phoenix, Arizona, in the U.S. He now has citizenship in both Canada and the U.S.
He went to Desert Vista High School in Phoenix. In 2015, he helped his team reach the championship game. He was recognized as an All-Arizona Division 1 player.
College Career
Brandon played two seasons for the San Jose State Spartans. In his first year, he was named the Mountain West Sixth Man of the Year. This award is for a player who often comes off the bench but makes a big impact. He averaged 10.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
As a sophomore, he improved a lot. He averaged 17.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game. He was named to the All-Mountain West First Team. He also made the Mountain West All-Defensive Team. After this season, he moved to Gonzaga. He sat out the 2017–18 season, which is called a "redshirt" year. This means he practiced with the team but didn't play in games.
In his junior year at Gonzaga, Brandon continued to shine. He won three big awards in the West Coast Conference: Newcomer of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and All-WCC First Team. He was the first player in the WCC to win both Newcomer and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season. He was also named to the All-American Third Team.
On March 23, 2019, Brandon had an amazing game. He scored a career-high 36 points against Baylor. He also had 8 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 3 assists. He became only the third player in NCAA Tournament history to score 35+ points and have 5 blocks in one game. The other two players were famous NBA stars Shaquille O'Neal and David Robinson. Brandon also broke a Gonzaga team record for points in an NCAA Tournament game.
Professional Career
Brandon Clarke was chosen 21st overall in the 2019 NBA draft. On July 7, 2019, the Memphis Grizzlies traded for him. They got his draft rights from the Oklahoma City Thunder.
He had a fantastic start in the 2019 NBA Summer League. He recorded four "double-doubles." A double-double is when a player gets 10 or more in two different stats, like points and rebounds. He was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Summer League. He was the second non-American player to win this award. In the championship game, he scored 15 points and grabbed 16 rebounds. He also had 4 assists and 3 blocks. He led Memphis to win the league championship. He also won the game MVP award. This made him the first player in Summer League history to win both the league MVP and championship game MVP.
On October 23, 2019, Brandon played his first NBA game. He scored eight points and had seven rebounds. On December 18, he scored a career-high 27 points. He did this again in another game against the Portland Trail Blazers. On February 25, 2020, he had to stop playing for a while. He had a right quadriceps injury. On September 15, 2020, he was named to the 2019–20 NBA All-Rookie First Team. This means he was one of the top five rookies (first-year players) in the NBA.
On December 16, 2020, the Grizzlies decided to keep Brandon for the 2021–22 season. On January 8, 2021, he scored 21 points against the Brooklyn Nets. The Grizzlies made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2017. Brandon made his playoff debut on May 29. The Grizzlies were eventually eliminated by the Utah Jazz.
On October 16, 2021, the Grizzlies kept Brandon for the 2022–23 season. On January 28, 2022, he scored 22 points against the Utah Jazz. The Grizzlies made the playoffs again. On April 26, Brandon had his best playoff game. He scored 21 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. On April 29, the Grizzlies beat the Minnesota Timberwolves to move on. Brandon had 17 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks in that game. The Grizzlies were later eliminated by the Golden State Warriors.
On October 16, 2022, Brandon signed a new four-year contract with the Grizzlies. On March 3, 2023, he suffered a serious leg injury. It was a torn left Achilles tendon. This injury meant he could not play for the rest of the 2022–23 season.
Playing for Canada
Brandon Clarke has said that he hopes to play for the Canadian national basketball team in the future.
See also
In Spanish: Brandon Clarke para niños
