Brandon Clarke’s Parents, Whitney & Bryan Triplett: 5 Fast Facts

Brandon Clarke Instagram/Bryan Triplett Facebook

Brandon Clarke’s parents include his mother, Whitney Triplett, his stepfather, Bryan Triplett, and his birth father, who is Jamaican.

Little is available online about Clarke’s father, but his mother and stepfather have been outspoken in their support for the rising basketball player. In an Instagram post, Clarke has shouted out love for his mother on several occasions, writing at one point, “Happy Mother’s Day to the most amazing person in my life!!! Love you more and more everyday ❤️”

Here’s what you need to know:

1. Brandon Clarke’s Mother, Whitney Triplett, Is a Registered Nurse & Owns a Yoga Studio

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According to her LinkedIn, Triplett is a registered nurse, and also owns a yoga studio in California. At her yoga studio, Triplett offers various holistic healing practices like yoga classes, and energy healing.

On her “about” page, Triplett writes,

With simple holistic interventions and Energy Medicine I work with clients to help them release undesired, limiting, and unhealthy patterns. My techniques are unique, yet effective. I utilize my years of experience as a Registered Nurse, Yoga Instructor and an Energy Healing Practitioner. I help clients meet their goals, to live authentically, to expand their awareness and ultimately feel better.

2. Triplett Was Reportedly a Big Role in Clarke’s Scholarship at San Jose State

Triplett and her son are very close. Clarke often posts about her on Instagram, and according to one profile of the pair in Undefeated, Triplett was one of the forces behind Clarke’s initial scholarship offer to San Jose State.

Per the Undefeated, the San Jose State recruiter was not going to recruit Clarke, but then Triplett said to him, “Coach, I know you’ve never seen my son play. When you do, you’re going to fall in love with him. I promise you that.”

Clarke was eventually recruited by San Jose State, then transferred to Gonzaga after two seasons with San Jose. He said to The Undefeated, “This is the most fun I’ve ever had playing basketball. I’m just really blessed to come here and play for the Zags.”

3. Bryan Triplett, Clarke’s Stepfather: ‘If He Wasn’t My Son, I’d [Still] Be the Hugest Fan’

Bryan Triplett is Triplett’s husband and Clarke’s stepfather. His Facebook is filled with statuses of support and love for his stepson. Bryan was thrilled when his stepson transferred to Gonzaga, he told local news affiliate KREM: “I knew that the way he plays the game is exactly how Gonzaga plays the game, they would love him, Brandon would love being there. So we went on the recruiting trip and I was sold before we even got on the plane but thankfully Brandon saw what I already knew.”

He added that his love for his stepson was only amplified for his love of the way his stepson plays basketball. He said, “He’s just such a fun player to watch. If he wasn’t my son, I’d be the hugest fan. I really would. He’s just such a great, gifted, humble basketball player.”

Whitney added, “I said to Brandon, ‘Whenever you fly I smile.’ I just know something amazing is going to happen, even though I get a little nervous sometimes with his fearlessness with jumping.”

Bryan replied, “It’s like every game there is some spectacular moment where it’s like, ‘He did not just do that. Wow.'”

4. Clarke’s Birth Father Is Jamaican

Little is publicly known about Clarke’s birth father, though the Gonzaga Bulletin does mention that Clarke is half-Jamaican, because his father comes from Jamaican heritage.

If you watch Clarke play, you might notice the large tattoo on his right shoulder and bicep. Per the Gonzaga Bulletin, the tattoo is comprised of a phoenix, a lion, and the word “inspire,” and the goal of the body art is to pay homage to his background. The lion is his favorite animal, the Phoenix represents his hometown roots, and “also stands for life, rebirth, longevity,” he explained. “It lets me know there’s life after death because when a phoenix dies, it always comes back.”

Lastly, the word “inspire” is surrounded by roses as a form of homage to his mother, whose yoga studio is called “Inspire by Whitney.” Triplett, too, has tattoos of roses on her Triplett said to the Gonzaga Bulletin, “Brandon and I are very connected at the heart. Knowing that he has something permanent like that on his arm, [that] it was a honor to me, his mother, is very special.”

5. When Bryan Was Asked How He’d Feel About an NBA Championship: ‘Teary Eyes’

If his NBA draft prediction holds, Clarke will be off to the NBA soon — but his step father hoping to hit one milestone before that happens. When asked how he would feel about Clarke winning the national championship with Gonzaga this year, he said to KREM, “Teary eyes. Absolutely incredible. It would be worth everything that he’s ever practiced so hard for.”

Triplett added to the news affiliate, “We’ll be celebrating.”