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“It is my honor to now announce that with the next pick in the 2021 NBA draft, the NBA selects Terrence Clarke from the University of Kentucky.” Those words by current NBA Commissioner Adam Silver echoed through the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on July 29, 2021. Last Friday, September 6, marked what would’ve been Terrence Clarke’s 23rd birthday and a little less than three years since his tragic passing in a car accident in Los Angeles, California, after a workout with then college teammate and current San Antonio Spur Brandon Boston.
Clarke’s legacy, rooted in his hometown of Boston, still holds firm despite his passing. Many in the basketball world remember where they were when they heard the tragic news that he had passed on. Hailing from Dorchester, Clarke was a light for many youths coming from the various neighborhoods in the city. They saw in him someone who tuned out the external noise and worked his tail off to accomplish his dream despite the odds of success. It’s been over a decade since the days of Wayne Seldon Jr., Shabazz Napier and Jalen Adams, all players from the city of Boston who rose to national notoriety in high school and went on to powerhouse college programs. Terrence made it cool to be a hooper from Boston again.
Known around the city of Boston as “TClarke” or “TC,” Clarke rose to national prominence during his time with Boston’s very own AAU team, Expressions Elite, a part of the Nike-sponsored Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL). This b-ball circuit brings the best middle school and high school kids from around the country together to compete against one another. Here, Clarke got to hone and refine his skills against the best players nationwide while solidifying his spot as one of the best, finishing No. 10 in the ESPN Top 100 high school recruits for the class of 2020. This showing came after dropping from the third spot in the class of 2021 rankings. TC decided to reclassify and enroll in a university a year early.
Clarke’s rise to national attention didn’t only happen in the EYBL. He also spent two seasons at one of the premiere basketball preparatory high schools in the entire country, Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. The school is known for cultivating and developing the top high school athletes into NBA-ready products, and Terrence was next in line. With alums such as Donovan Mitchell, Davonte Graham, TJ Warren, and Will Barton, there was no doubt the ESPN Top 100 prospect from Boston was poised to follow in their footsteps and be on his way to the NBA.
Aside from achieving his childhood dream of becoming a pro player and changing his family’s legacy forever, Clarke’s main goal was to be “that guy for the city [of Boston].” More than anything, he wanted to be someone the next generation of kids from the Hub could look up to as that north star, the competitor willing to put in the time and effort with that relentless drive to show everyone that all dreams are attainable.
On video, Clarke once said, “No one thinks of Boston when you think about basketball. I’m going to change that.”
Jalen Adams, Shabazz Napier and Wayne Turner are some of the most notable and recent names from the Boston area to rise to national stardom and become elite college players. The first two found their way to the prestigious University of Connecticut, where Napier won two national championships in his four years, as well as the 2014 Bob Cousy Award. Adams was selected to multiple All-Conference teams while leading the Huskies in scoring during his last three seasons in Storrs. Turner was a Kentucky point guard and part of two NCAA title teams.
In an attempt to become the next elite-level talent from Boston and build upon the success of his predecessors, Clarke also went to Lexington to play for Hall of Fame coach John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats. Like UConn, Kentucky is another college basketball powerhouse team with a long list of national championships and marquee NBA players. From big men like Demarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo to guards John Wall, Tyrese Maxey and Devin Booker, all played in Rupp Arena. There may be no better program in the country that recruits 18- and 19-year-old kids with raw talent and turns them into professional-level prospects. Given this history, Coach Calipari and his staff seemed the right spot to develop the 6’ 7” guard from Boston into Kentucky’s next elite NBA candidate.
Due to the unfortunate events of the Global Pandemic that hit the United States in the winter of 2020, Clarke and the rest of the college basketball world competed in a regular season filled with empty stands, social distancing and many other restrictions. Despite these complications, Clarke still managed to pour in 10.7 points per game while grabbing three rebounds per contest in a season that didn’t see many Kentucky bright spots. His unique size, athleticism and skill set made him a mismatch for both guards and big men. Clarke’s ability to dribble and shoot the basketball like a guard while standing at 6’ 7” with long arms also made him a versatile defender. These factors had many NBA general managers salivating about the potential of what Terrance could’ve turned into with more time, development and NBA-level coaching before his accident.
TClarke5 Foundation
On August 17, the T Clarke5 Foundation held its first-ever “TC5 Scholarship Basketball Tournament” at the Dana Barros Basketball Club in Stoughton, Massachusetts. This tournament and foundation are named in Terrence’s memory and brought kids from around the state to honor the fallen star with a 16-team basketball competition, with both middle school and high school divisions.
The games were played for team bragging rights and a limited-edition Terrence Clarke t-shirt produced by Celtics star Jaylen Brown’s brand, 7uice. The tournament also gave away a total of $2,000 in the form of school scholarships — $500 to the middle school winner and $1,500 to the high school winner.
The prizes were awarded by Terrence Clark’s mother, Osmine Clarke, who collected responses to questionnaires given to the student-athletes upon entering the tournament. Each child was asked, “What does the T Clarke5 Foundation Scholarship mean to him or her, and what he or she would use the money for?” Ms. Clarke awarded the scholarship to the child in each division whom she felt provided the best answer.
Boston events like these are a good way to foster goodwill in the community while celebrating the life and legacy of one of its exceptional athletes whose life was cut short.
These young people get a chance to meet and compete with their peers and share their experiences, all under the role of teamwork and of course the game of basketball. I think TC would be proud.
