Elden Campbell, former Los Angeles Laker and NBA champion, dies at 57
Elden Campbell
Former Lakers center Elden Campbell died at age fifty seven, according to Clemson University and former teammates. Known for his steady presence during a transitional era for the Lakers, Campbell played fifteen seasons in the NBA, won a championship with the Detroit Pistons, and remained Clemson’s all time scoring leader. Tributes highlight his skill, character, and enduring ties to Southern California.
TL;DR
Whereby an incident, Elden Campbell, the former Lakers center and Clemson prodigy, has passed away at the age of fifty-seven. He was an NBA player for fifteen seasons, won the title with Detroit in 2004, and consequently, a large number of coaches and former teammates have paid the tribute to him.
Inglewood-born Campbell after the 1990 draft was round 1-27 by the Los Angeles Lakers, went on to have a stunning 15 seasons run in the NBA. The journey he took from Morningside High School to the NBA was very much like the people who supported him right from his beginnings, a connection that made him a well-known person in the sports of Southern California.
The news of the death of the former center Elden Campbell, ex-Lakers, at the age of fifty-seven, has saddened the Los Angeles Lakers community, according to the statements made by Clemson University and some of the old-teammates on Tuesday. The officials have not announced the cause of death yet.
The death of Campbell, who played college basketball at Clemson University before going pro, was confirmed by the university in a formal release. Cliff Ellis, Campbell’s former head coach at Clemson, called him the main engine that led the program to success. "Elden was a tremendous player during his college years and he played a major role in us winning the only ACC regular season championship for Clemson from 1989 to 1990,” Ellis said. “He had a fifteen-year career in the NBA, and he won a championship. Above all, Elden was an excellent and caring person.”
Campbell is still the leading scorer in Clemson history with 1,880 points. While in college, he was playing with the future NBA players Dale Davis and Horace Grant, thus the pack became well-known for their defense and physicality. His performance in the ACC made him the perfect example of a big man who executed with calm and seldom flashed his skills.
After being picked by the Lakers, Campbell turned out to be a regular during the franchise’s period of change. He was with the team for eight and a half seasons and during the 1996 to 1997 season, he scored an average of about fifteen points while he was playing with the likes of a young Kobe Bryant and newly acquired Shaquille O'Neal. The guys he played with dubbed him Easy E, a compliment of his effortless playing style and his able-to-handle-the-court calm nature.
The Lakers sent Campbell and guard Eddie Jones to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for the year 1999. At Charlotte, Campbell was able to show off his great career most of the stamina and skill were what made him stand out among other players. Later on, he was with the Detroit Pistons when he got the ring of the NBA champion in 2004 after the Pistons beat the Lakers in the Finals.
Earlier this year, the Southern California Basketball Hall of Fame honored Campbell with induction for his impact on the game at various levels. Cedric Ceballos, a former Lakers forward, turned to the public to pay homage to Campbell and in so doing, he described Campbell’s demise as “heartbreaking” and recalled their friendship which spanned over many years.
It is certain that one of the main things for which Campbell will be remembered is his reliability. In addition, he was a true professional and he had a very strong relationship with the place where he came from. After that, people who could witness the match with him and also those who were his side-walkers in the good and bad times during their talks, not only recognized his talent in the game but they went on to say that he was a loving and humble man.
Whereby an incident, Elden Campbell, the former Lakers center and Clemson prodigy, has passed away at the age of fifty-seven. He was an NBA player for fifteen seasons, won the title with Detroit in 2004, and consequently, a large number of coaches and former teammates have paid the tribute to him.
Inglewood-born Campbell after the 1990 draft was round 1-27 by the Los Angeles Lakers, went on to have a stunning 15 seasons run in the NBA. The journey he took from Morningside High School to the NBA was very much like the people who supported him right from his beginnings, a connection that made him a well-known person in the sports of Southern California.
The news of the death of the former center Elden Campbell, ex-Lakers, at the age of fifty-seven, has saddened the Los Angeles Lakers community, according to the statements made by Clemson University and some of the old-teammates on Tuesday. The officials have not announced the cause of death yet.
The death of Campbell, who played college basketball at Clemson University before going pro, was confirmed by the university in a formal release. Cliff Ellis, Campbell’s former head coach at Clemson, called him the main engine that led the program to success. "Elden was a tremendous player during his college years and he played a major role in us winning the only ACC regular season championship for Clemson from 1989 to 1990,” Ellis said. “He had a fifteen-year career in the NBA, and he won a championship. Above all, Elden was an excellent and caring person.”
Campbell is still the leading scorer in Clemson history with 1,880 points. While in college, he was playing with the future NBA players Dale Davis and Horace Grant, thus the pack became well-known for their defense and physicality. His performance in the ACC made him the perfect example of a big man who executed with calm and seldom flashed his skills.
After being picked by the Lakers, Campbell turned out to be a regular during the franchise’s period of change. He was with the team for eight and a half seasons and during the 1996 to 1997 season, he scored an average of about fifteen points while he was playing with the likes of a young Kobe Bryant and newly acquired Shaquille O'Neal. The guys he played with dubbed him Easy E, a compliment of his effortless playing style and his able-to-handle-the-court calm nature.
The Lakers sent Campbell and guard Eddie Jones to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for the year 1999. At Charlotte, Campbell was able to show off his great career most of the stamina and skill were what made him stand out among other players. Later on, he was with the Detroit Pistons when he got the ring of the NBA champion in 2004 after the Pistons beat the Lakers in the Finals.
Earlier this year, the Southern California Basketball Hall of Fame honored Campbell with induction for his impact on the game at various levels. Cedric Ceballos, a former Lakers forward, turned to the public to pay homage to Campbell and in so doing, he described Campbell’s demise as “heartbreaking” and recalled their friendship which spanned over many years.
It is certain that one of the main things for which Campbell will be remembered is his reliability. In addition, he was a true professional and he had a very strong relationship with the place where he came from. After that, people who could witness the match with him and also those who were his side-walkers in the good and bad times during their talks, not only recognized his talent in the game but they went on to say that he was a loving and humble man.