NBA Mourns Deaths of Clarke, Jason Collins

The NBA community reeled Tuesday from the deaths of two players whose careers spanned different eras: Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke, 29, found unresponsive in a Los Angeles-area home on Monday, and Jason Collins, 47, who succumbed to stage 4 glioblastoma after an eight-month battle.

Authorities responded to a medical call around 5 p.m. on May 11 in Woodland Hills, where paramedics pronounced Clarke dead at the scene. Officials reported finding narcotics and drug paraphernalia but noted no evidence of foul play. An autopsy is pending to determine the cause. Clarke, one of the Grizzlies' longest-tenured players alongside Ja Morant, faced legal troubles six weeks earlier. On April 1 in Cross County, Arkansas, he was arrested on charges including trafficking a controlled substance, possession, fleeing and improper passing after a high-speed chase. More than 230 grams of kratom, legal in Tennessee but a Schedule I substance in Arkansas, were found in his vehicle. He posted bond the next day.

A 2019 first-round pick traded to Memphis from Oklahoma City, Clarke averaged 10.2 points and 5.5 rebounds over 309 games in seven seasons. Injuries hampered his later years, including...