Former Lakers center Elden Campbellwho played 8 and a half seasons of his 15-year NBA career with the Los Angeles team he watched while growing up here and attending Morningside High School, died. He was 57.
Former Lakers teammates and friends expressed their condolences Tuesday.
The 6-foot-11 Campbell, a first-round pick of the Lakers out of Clemson in 1990, averaged 10.3 points and 5.9 rebounds during his career. He won an NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons in 2004, claiming his title after defeating the Lakers.
Campbell was known for his seemingly effortless playing style, as well as his calm and laid-back demeanor.
Lakers center Elden Campbell dunks Trail Blazers center Arvydas Sabonis during an April 25, 1997 game at The Forum.
(Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press)
Former Lakers player Byron Scott, who said he knows Campbell's family because Scott also grew up in Inglewood and went to Morningside, said the news was painful to hear. Scott and Campbell were Lakers teammates when Scott returned for his final season in Los Angeles in 1996–97.
“I just remember his behavior. That's why we nicknamed him 'Easy E,'” Scott told The Times. “He was so cool, nothing was speeding him up. He was going to take his time. He was easy. He was such a good dude. I liked Easy, man.”
Campbell averaged 14.9 points per game for the Lakers during the 1996–97 season, playing alongside Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.
Campbell's best season was with the Charlotte Hornets, when he averaged 15.3 points and 9.4 rebounds.
“It hurts to the bone,” Cedric Ceballos said on Instagram about his former Lakers teammate. “We grew up together.”
Campbell has been inducted into the 2025 SoCal Basketball Hall of Fame class.
Coming out of Clemson, Campbell was considered a big man with tremendous potential to become a force in the NBA. He never lived up to that bill, but he was a good defender and had great scoring instincts.
“I thought if he really wants to be a good player, which is the only negative thing I can say about him, he has the potential to be a great player,” Scott said. “He just wanted to play. He couldn't practice until his contract was up and he wasn't ready to try to get another one. He didn't put in that time, but he had some skills. He was big and strong and could jump out of the gym. He had this good little turnaround jump shot. Honestly, he didn't want to be great. He just wanted to play. But what a good guy.”
