Elden Campbell, a towering 6-foot-11 center renowned for his quiet demeanor and lasting presence on the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1990s, as well as for winning an NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons, has died at 57. Clemson University and former teammates confirmed his death this week, though a cause has not been released. His passing prompted an outpouring of tributes from across the basketball world, particularly in Southern California, where Campbell grew up and first fell in love with the franchise he would later join.
Campbell, an Inglewood native and Morningside High standout, was drafted by the Lakers in the first round in 1990 after excelling at Clemson, where he still holds the all-time scoring record. He guided the Tigers to their only ACC regular-season championship and was instrumental in their Sweet 16 run.
The news of Campbell’s death hit former teammates particularly hard. Magic Johnson was among the first to publicly mourn him. “He was such a gentle soul,” Johnson wrote on X. “As a basketball player, he was extremely athletic… Cookie and I are praying for his family and Lakers Nation.” Johnson recalled the lobs he used to feed Campbell, praising his ability to “jump out of the gym” even as a young big man learning the pace of the league.
Byron Scott, who played alongside Campbell during the early and mid-1990s, echoed those sentiments. Scott said Campbell’s calm presence earned him the nickname “Easy E,” a reflection of the way he carried himself on and off the floor. “He was just so cool, nothing speeding him up,” Scott told The Times. “He was such a good dude. I loved Easy, man.” Scott, who also grew up in Inglewood, said the two families knew each other long before their NBA careers overlapped.
Campbell spent eight and a half seasons with the Lakers and averaged 14.9 points during the 1996-97 season alongside Shaquille O’Neal and a young Kobe Bryant, one of the most productive years of his career. His best statistical season came in 1999 with the Charlotte Hornets, when he averaged 15.3 points and 9.4 rebounds per game after being traded in a major deal that also brought in Eddie Jones and Glen Rice.
Cedric Ceballos, another former Lakers teammate and childhood friend, said Campbell’s passing felt deeply personal. “This one hurt to the bone,” he wrote on Instagram. “Grew up as kids together.” Their connection, forged long before both entered the league, reflected the deep roots Campbell maintained in the Southern California basketball community.
In 2004, Campbell captured his lone NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons, contributing veteran depth to a defensive-minded roster that famously toppled the Lakers in the Finals. For Campbell, who had spent most of his career in Los Angeles, the win offered a full-circle moment at the twilight of his playing days. He retired the following year after 15 seasons, 1,044 games, and career averages of 10.3 points and 5.9 rebounds.
Beyond professional accolades, Campbell’s legacy at Clemson remained equally enduring. Cliff Ellis, Campbell’s former college coach, said he was “deeply saddened” by the loss. “Elden was a great player for four years… But most of all, Elden was an outstanding, giving person,” Ellis said. “This is a sad day for the Clemson family.”
Though scouts once envisioned Campbell becoming a dominant force in the NBA, he forged a career built on reliable defense, a soft turnaround jumper, and an unbothered playing style that teammates often admired. Scott, reflecting on both his talent and temperament, said Campbell “didn’t want to be great… He just wanted to play,” but emphasized that he remained “a good guy” and a respected teammate throughout his career.
Campbell, who was inducted into the 2025 SoCal Basketball Hall of Fame, leaves behind a legacy defined not only by numbers but by the warmth, steadiness, and generosity remembered by those who knew him.
