NBA remembers former Kentucky star Terrence Clarke on 20th birthday

The NBA remembered former Kentucky star Terrence Clarke on what would have been his 20th birthday.

“Today, we remember Terrence Clarke on his 20th birthday and celebrate his rare talent and passion for the game. But it was his love and commitment to family, teammates, and the Boston and Kentucky communities that made him forever a part of the NBA family. #LLTC5”

Kentucky head coach John Calipari also remembered Clarke with a message of his own.

“Today would have been Terrence Clarke’s 20th birthday,” Calipari said. “Not a day goes by where I don’t think about that smile and his spirit. Don’t wait for tomorrow to put your arms around someone and tell them you love them or that you’re thinking about them.”

Terrence Clarke passed away April 22, 2021, in a car accident, just one day after signing with Klutch Sports. Clarke announced a month before his death he would be entering the 2021 NBA Draft, forgoing his remaining collegiate eligibility.

The NBA honored Terrence Clarke at the 2021 NBA Draft. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver ceremonially drafted Clarke into the league in a presentation attended by Clarke’s mother, Osmine Clarke, and his two siblings at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

“His extraordinary talent, dedication and commitment to the game deserve to be recognized,” Silver said. “He will forever be part of the NBA family.”

In the 2020 season, Terrence Clarke played in the first seven games for the Wildcats but was sidelined with an ankle injury that kept him out until the season finale against Mississippi State. He finished the year averaging 9.6 points.

Coming out of high school, the shooting guard was a five-star prospect, rated as high as a a top-10 prospect in the country and a projected lottery pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. Clarke attended Brewster Academy in his last three seasons of high school.

In 2019, Clarke led Brewster Academy to the 2019 National Prep Championships. Clarke averaged 16.2 points per game to go along with 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game in the 2019 Nike Elite Youth Basketball League.

As a senior, Clarke averaged 18.3 points per game with 5.8 rebounds per game and three assists per game, leading Brewster Academy to a 34-3 record and back to the National Prep Championships before the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the rest of the event.