Around the NBA: 2026 Postseason Edition

[Aztec Sunsfan]

Best front office guys and owners leave the spotlight to the players, so no thanks to Morey, he was a different person in Philly from his Houston days, too much ego to handle at this point.

[TOO]

Brandon Clarke is dead. Wtf.

[Mori Chu]

Really sad news. He was only 29. RIP.

[carey]

What the hell. Any word on what happened? Usually when the cause of death is not immediately announced it is suicide. I really hope not, but very sad regardless.

[ShelC]

That's really crazy. I remember us talking about whether or not to draft him.

[wpmiller42]

That's super sad. On SiriusXM NBA radio, they mentioned that TMZ was reporting it as a suspected drug overdose. Just really sad. I always thought he would be a great player to pick up before his Achilles' injury.

[Mori Chu]

I was reading on Reddit (take with a grain of salt) that last year he was arrested for possession of a drug called kratom, which I hadn't heard of but is apparently available in some stores and places. Google says:

Kratom (<emMitragyna speciosa/em>) is an herbal extract derived from the leaves of an evergreen tree native to Southeast Asia, which has gained popularity in the U.S. for its psychoactive properties. It acts as a stimulant at low doses—increasing energy and alertness—and as a sedative at higher doses, reducing pain and anxiety.Although marketed as a natural supplement, kratom is not approved by the FDA and carries risks of addiction, dependency, and severe side effects.

I was seeing people on Reddit saying the stuff can be really addictive and harmful and hard to kick once you get hooked on it. Sounds like Clarke was taking a lot of it and maybe having addiction issues. Very sad to hear it.

[ShelC]

I've read up Kratom and it's crazy that it's not regulated in any way. There's a chain called CBD Kratom in multiple states that sells it. I think it was promoted as an alternative to opiates.

[Superbone]

Wild. I just heard of Kratom for the first time last week from a guy who swears by it for pain management.

[Split T]

It acts on the same receptors as opioids do…so I don’t doubt it’s a good pain killer, but it’s also going to be highly addictive. Feels like maybe it should be regulated…it is illegal in some states, hence the arrest Brandon Clarke had last month for Kratom possession. Legal in most states though.

[carey]

If you're interested in Kratom then you should watch Last Week Tonight from about a week ago. They did a whole show on gas station drugs and it's wild.

[The Bobster]

Also, Jason Collins, twin brother of former Suns' Jaron Collins, died from brain cancer.

Jason Collins was also the first openly gay NBA player (John Amaechi came out after his playing career was over).

[The Bobster]

Brandon Clarke is dead. Wtf.

"LAPD sources confirmed to ABC News that Clarke was found dead from a possible drug overdose Monday in a home located in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley. Narcotics were found at the scene, and there was no evidence of foul play, sources told ABC News."

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/487 ... ies-age-29

[Mori Chu]

Jason Collins also died today, as Bobster mentioned. Very sad. Collins was brave for coming out as the first openly gay NBA player. He won't be the last. RIP.

[Furlanfufi]

[Superbone]

[Ring_Wanted]

Whatever, have them be subject to the same public scrutiny coaches and players endure. I'd love a press conference after games with both coaches and the ref in the middle, at least for playoffs games. I bet a ton of people would watch this. Stop protecting incompetence and inconsistency.

AI referring can't come soon enough.

[Flagrant Fowl]

We all love to complain about officiating, but I challenge you to watch any other league or level of basketball and you'll quickly realize how much better the NBA officials are by comparison.

[SunsRIt]

We all love to complain about officiating, but I challenge you to watch any other league or level of basketball and you'll quickly realize how much better the NBA officials are by comparison.

This is true, but they need to leave their biases at the door. They have know what they are doing. There is no other excuse for the whistle the OKC Thunder get.

[Mori Chu]

I notice that the players rate many of the female refs in the Tier 3 "needs improvement" group. I don't track most refs and so I can't speak to the accuracy of their rankings. Are the female refs bad, or do the players carry some sexism / resent being officiated by women? Or a bit of both?