Former Los Angeles Lakers center Elden Campbell died Tuesday at age 57. The cause of death is not known. The 6-foot-11 Campbell spent more than half of his 15-year NBA career with the team he grew up watching.
Lakers Drafted Elden Campbell In 1990
Campbell played 8½ seasons with the Los Angeles team he watched while attending Morningside High. He went on to star at Clemson before being selected 27th overall by the Lakers in the 1990 NBA draft.
In 618 career games (381 starts) with the Lakers, he averaged 10.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 25 minutes per outing while shooting 46.7% from the floor and 67.9% from the free throw line.
Elden Campbell works Olajuwon (1995)
Rockets vs Lakers pic.twitter.com/3Dsn7UGdIB— 90s NBA (@NBA90s) August 13, 2024
Per Basketball Reference, Campbell also averaged 14.9 points per game with the Lakers during the 1996-97 season playing alongside Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.
Campbell was nicknamed “Big E” and “Easy” for his easy-going demeanor, despite having the ability to clean up the boards and defend the paint.
Former Lakers guard Byron Scott told Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times that he knew Campbell’s family because he also grew up in Inglewood and attended Morningside.
Campbell Just Wanted To Play Basketball
Scott and Campbell were teammates on the Lakers when Scott returned for his final season back with the Purple and Gold in 1996-97.
“I just remember his demeanor. That’s why we nicknamed him ‘Easy E,’” Scott said. “He was just so cool, nothing speeding him up. He was going to take his time. He was just easy. He was such a good dude. I loved Easy, man.
“He didn’t want to be great, to be honest with you. He just wanted to play. But what a good guy.”
Cedric Ceballos, another former Lakers teammate and childhood friend, posted this message on Instagram: “This one hurt to the bone. Grew up as kids together.”
Campbell also played for the Charlotte Hornets, New Orleans Hornets, Seattle SuperSonics, Detroit Pistons, New Jersey Nets. He won an NBA championship with the Pistons in 2004.
In 1,044 career NBA regular-season games (671 starts), Campbell averaged 10.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 24.7 minutes per contest while shooting 46% from the field and 69.9% from the foul line.
Per Turner, Campbell was part of the 2025 SoCal Basketball Hall of Fame Class.
