LeBron James Mourns Death of Terrence Clarke: 'Rest in Paradise Nephew'

LeBron James took to Instagram Thursday night to mourn the death of 19-year-old Kentucky star Terrence Clarke. 

Clarke declared for the NBA draft March 19 and was in the Los Angeles area preparing to turn pro. Following a car crash Thursday afternoon, the former five-star recruit was pronounced dead at a local hospital, per WKYT.

One day earlier, on Wednesday, Clarke and his Kentucky teammate Brandon Boston Jr. signed with agent Rich Paul and Klutch Sports. Paul is a longtime friend of James who continues to represent the Los Angeles Lakers star. James' son, Bronny, was teammates with Boston at Sierra Canyon two years ago.

Paul confirmed Clarke's death to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski:

"I am absolutely gutted and sick tonight," Kentucky head coach John Calipari said in a statement. "I would ask that everyone take a moment tonight to say a prayer for Terrence Clarke and his family. May he rest in peace."

Clarke, a Boston native, was ranked the No. 2 shooting guard in the country by 247Sports for the class of 2020. Lead recruiting analyst Jerry Meyer projected him as a lottery pick who compared to Detroit Pistons guard Josh Jackson. Clarke averaged 9.6 points and 2.6 rebounds in eight games during as an ankle injury forced him to miss most of the season.