The NBA honored the late Terrence Clarke on Thursday at the 2021 NBA Draft. 

“His extraordinary talent, commitment and dedication to the game, deserved to be recognized on this stage,” said NBA commissioner Adam Silver. 

Clarke was expected to be drafted after he submitted his name and decided to forego his remaining eligibility at Kentucky. 

Clarke was only 19 years old when he died following a car accident in the Los Angeles area in April. 

“I want to take a moment to remind everyone that this would have been Terrence Clarke’s big night as well,” said coach John Calipari. “Not a day goes by that I don’t think about him, his mom, Osmine, and their family. I can only imagine how wide that smile of his would have been hearing his name called.” 

Clarke’s mother, sister and brother were in attendance at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn to join commissioner Silver on the stage as he announced the selection of Clarke.