SI

Jaylen Brown Pays Tribute to Late Kentucky Star Terrence Clarke During Celtics Parade

Patrick Andres|
Jul 29, 2021; Brooklyn, New York, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver honors deceased Kentucky player Terrence Clarke during the first round of the 2021 NBA Draft at Barclays Center.
Jul 29, 2021; Brooklyn, New York, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver honors deceased Kentucky player Terrence Clarke during the first round of the 2021 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. | Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

In this story:

Boston Celtics

Former Kentucky guard Terrence Clarke was supposed to be the next great Boston-bred NBA draft prospect—an heir to the legacy of Dana Barros, Bruce Brown and other pros from the city.

Unfortunately, Clarke was killed in a Los Angeles car crash on April 22, 2021. He was just 19, with the draft mere months ahead of him; the NBA would eventually draft him as a ceremonial posthumous pick.

His death hit the tight-knit basketball world—and the New England basketball community in particular—hard. As the Boston Celtics marched to the NBA title this season, guard Jaylen Brown took it upon himself to pay Clarke continued homage.

Brown donned Clarke's high school jersey for the slam dunk contest in February, and during the Celtics' championship parade on Friday, he held a mock-up Clarke Boston jersey aloft.

Clarke played in eight games for the Wildcats in 2021, averaging 9.6 points per game in a season limited by injury.

Published
Patrick Andres
PATRICK ANDRES

Patrick Andres is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in December 2022, having worked for The Blade, Athlon Sports, Fear the Sword and Diamond Digest. Andres has covered everything from zero-attendance Big Ten basketball to a seven-overtime college football game. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism with a double major in history .

Home/NBA