On the opening night of the NBA Draft, the league posthumously drafted University of Kentucky freshman basketball player Terrance Clarke. 

On Thursday, Commissioner Adam Silver invited the 19-year-old's mother, sister and younger brother to the stage while he made an announcement on behalf of the league.

“It is my honor, to now announce that with the next pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the NBA selects Terrance Clarke from the University of Kentucky,” he said.

Silver added that Clarke would have been drafted into the NBA had he not died in April.

On April 20, while in Los Angeles, the teen was driving a vehicle alone when he ran a red light, struck another car and then hit a pole and block wall, People reported.

Authorities said Clarke was traveling at a high rate of speed and was not wearing his seatbelt correctly. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead, WKYT reported.

Silver said it was important that the teen be honored Thursday night, saying “His extraordinary talent commitment and dedication to the game deserved to be recognized on this stage."

During an interview with ESPN, Clarke’s mother Osmine said her son was ready and excited to one day be drafted.

"It's all he talked about, just going to the draft, like, 'Mommy, am I ready for this? This is big.' And I'm like, 'Yes, Terrence, you wouldn't be in this position if you didn't, if people didn't think you were this good,'” she said.

Clarke dedicated his life to the sport and while he was a freshman basketball player for the Wildcats at the University of Kentucky, he averaged 9.6 points for eight games last season, ESPN reported. 

He later sustained a leg injury during the season and was undergoing rehabilitation at a facility in Los Angeles before the tragic accident took place.

Many people took to Twitter to share their thoughts about the teen being honored during the first round of the NBA Draft.

The commissioner said that Clarke "will forever be a part of the NBA family.” 

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