‘Rest in paradise nephew’, LeBron James mourns 19-year-old basketball player

LeBron James took to his Instagram to react to the news of the death of former UK men’s basketball player Terrence Clarke who died in a car crash on Thursday.

The 19-year-old NBA Draft prospect and Wildcat alum BJ Boston recently joined LeBron and his agent Rich Paul at Klutch Sports where both young players were supposed to kick off their basketball careers. Clarke and Boston have just ended a workout session, minutes before the crash happened, claiming Clarke’s life.

James’s Instagram post suggests that Clarke had become close to the James family, as LeBron’s first son Bronny also expressed his hurt over Clarke’s death.

Before his death, Clarke averaged 9.6 points on 42.1 percent shoots, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in the last season with the Wildcats. His career with Kentucky was short-lived due to injuries he sustained. However, he continued to pursue his NBA dream and was drafted in the March 2021 Draft class.

James was saddened by the fact that Clarke was a promising young basketball player with much potential. He also regarded him as family while he was alive.

Following the Thursday car crash, Clarke was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to WKYT reports. A day before the crash, Clarke and Boston reportedly signed with Klutch Sports.

Clarke was ranked the No. 2 shooting guard in the country for the class of 2020, by 247Sports. He was projected as a lottery pick by lead recruiting analyst Jerry Meyer, compared to Detroit Pistons guard Josh Jackson.

“We are stunned by this sudden heartbreaking tragedy,” said Mitch Barnhart, UK director of athletics. “Terrence was a young man who was so full of life and so full of promise. We hurt and grieve with his family, his friends, and his teammates and coaches, and our prayers are with all of them in this unimaginable loss.”

Clarke is survived by his parents, Osmine Clarke and Adrian Briggs, and his three siblings: Tatyana Gray, Gavin Clarke and Madison Adrianne.