Elden Campbell, a towering figure who played alongside Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, and the late Kobe Bryant with the Los Angeles Lakers and won an NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons, has died.
He was 57.
The Cause of Death
At this moment, it’s not known how Campbell died. Campbell’s former teammates began paying tribute on Tuesday, followed by Magic’s tweet on Wednesday morning, in which he revealed that he had “just received” the “devastating news” about the death of his former Lakers teammate.
“He was such a gentle soul. As a basketball player, he was extremely athletic. I loved throwing lobs to Elden because he could jump out the gym and had so much talent! Cookie and I are praying for his family and Lakers Nation as they mourn during this difficult time. Rest in peace Big E!” Magic tweeted.
TMZ Sports on Wednesday reported, citing family sources, that Campbell died suddenly on Monday morning. Those same family sources, the outlet reported, declined to share the cause of death. TMZ Sports went on to report that Campbell “was not sick.”
Campbell Played With Magic, Kobe, and Shaq
Campbell was the Lakers’ 27th overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft out of Clemson University. He starred at Morningside High School in Inglewood, California, the same high school Lakers star Byron Scott attended.
“Your nickname in Inglewood was ‘Easy E.’ We were just 2 Inglewood guys from Morningside High School who made it to the NBA,” Scott remembered his former Lakers teammate in a moving tribute on Instagram. “I played on the varsity team with your older brother, Elwayne Campbell. You were a little kid that I used to say ‘Go sit down’ to at our basketball practices. Then to play together for the Los Angeles Lakers in 1990 was amazing and a memory I will never forget. Rest Easy E 🕊️ 🙏🏾 Gone Too Soon.”
Campbell played with the Lakers until the 1999 season, earning the rare distinction of having played alongside Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kobe Bryant, who tragically died in a horrific helicopter crash in January 2020.
The 7-footer, along with Eddie Jones and Glen Rice, was traded to the Charlotte Hornets in 1999. He had his best season with the Hornets, averaging 15.3 points per game and 9.4 rebounds.
He ultimately bounced around the league with the now-defunct Seattle SuperSonics, Detroit Pistons, and New Jersey Nets.
Though he saw little action on the court, Campbell earned an NBA championship in 2004 after the Pistons, ironically, beat Shaq, Kobe, and the Lakers.
A Clemson Legend
Campbell is Clemson’s all-time scoring leader with 1,880 points, a record that stands 35 years after his last game there.
With the three-time All-ACC player at the helm in his senior year, Clemson went on to win its first and only ACC regular-season title. That year, the Tigers appeared in the Sweet 16 before UConn ousted them with a buzzer-beater.
“I am deeply saddened to learn of Elden Campbell’s passing,” said Cliff Ellis, Campbell’s head coach at Clemson. “Elden was a great player for four years, especially in 1989-90 when he was a major reason we won Clemson’s only ACC regular season championship. He went on to a 15-year career in the NBA and won a World Championship.”
Ellis added, “But most of all, Elden was an outstanding, giving person. This is a sad day for the Clemson family. Elden loved Clemson, he came back and supported the program after he retired. He exemplified what Clemson was all about.”
