Is Jaylen Brown related to Terrence Clarke? Closer look at late Kentucky player who Celtics guard honored at Slam Dunk Contest

Jaylen Brown paid tribute to late Kentucky forward Terrence Clark, who died on Apr. 22, 2021, three months before the NBA draft. Brown wore Clark's Brewster Academy jersey in his first dunk of the final round of the 2024 AT&T Slam Dunk Contest.

So, is Brown related to Clarke? The answer is no, but the Boston Celtics guard considered Clarke as his younger brother. Brown took the Boston native under his wing and supported him throughout his high school and college career.

Brown explained to The Athletic, seven months after Clarke's death, about the type of relationship they had:

"Terrence and me, we had a unique relationship. Terrence was the little brother I never had. Always at my house, going through my closet, playing video games. I'm like, 'Don’t you got school? What are you doing?' He was just always hanging out."

Jaylen Brown was one of many who paid tribute to Terrence Clarke after he died on Apr. 22, 2021. Clarke was killed in a traffic accident following a workout with fellow draft prospect and teammate Brandon Boston Jr. in Los Angeles, California.

Clarke was 19 and was one of the draft prospects that year. The NBA honored him by selecting him between the 14th and 15th overall picks. Brown was one of the players who called on the league to draft Clarke despite the unfortunate accident.

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Jaylen Brown's tribute to Terrence Clarke at 2024 Slam Dunk Contest

Jaylen Brown paid tribute to the late Terrence Clarke in the 2024 Slam Dunk Contest

Jaylen Brown became the first All-Star since DeAndre Jordan in 2017 to join the Slam Dunk Contest.

Brown fared alright in his Slam Dunk Contest debut, reaching the final round against defending champion Mac McClung. He did two solid dunks in the first two rounds to advance to the final.

In his first dunk of the final round, Brown paid tribute to Terrence Clarke by putting on his Brewster Academy No. 5 jersey. He hit a powerful spinning slam wearing Clarke's jersey.

The commentators for the event lauded Brown for honoring his "little brother" on one of the biggest stages in basketball.

"Terrence was like my little bro," Brown told reporters after the Slam Dunk Contest.

"Definitely a Boston connection. I wanted to have a purpose in everything that I was doing. I wanted everything to have a message behind it, and I think that's what I did tonight."

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