Elden Campbell, 15-year NBA veteran, dead at 57

Elden Campbell, a 15-year NBA veteran who spent the majority of his career playing with his hometown Los Angeles Lakers, has died, according to the Los Angeles Times. He was 57.

The cause of death is unknown. 

Campbell, an Inglewood, Calif., native, attended Morningside High and grew up cheering for the Purple and Gold. 

The 6-foot-11 center went on to star at Clemson University before getting drafted by the Lakers in the first round of the 1990 NBA Draft.

Campbell, a 2025 SoCal Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, spent eight-and-a-half seasons in LA and averaged 10.3 points and 5.9 rebounds per game during his career. 

He won his lone NBA championship in 2004 with the Detroit Pistons, fittingly taking down the Lakers in a historic upset. 

Campbell earned the nickname “Easy E” for his smooth, seemingly effortless style of play, relaxed demeanor and stable locker room presence.

Former Lakers teammates and friends offered their condolences after learning of Campbell’s passing. 

Byron Scott, a fellow Inglewood native and Morningside High alum, explained that he was deeply saddened by the news. The duo played together when Scott returned to LA for his final NBA season in 1996-97.

“I just remember his demeanor. That’s why we nicknamed him ‘Easy E,’ ” Scott told the Los Angeles Times. “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.”

That season happened to be Campbell’s best in Hollywood, averaging 14.9 points and eight rebounds per game alongside the superstar duo of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal.

He topped those numbers as a member of the Charlotte Hornets, putting up 15.3 points and 9.4 rebounds a night during the 1998-99 campaign. 

“This one hurt to the bone,” former Lakers teammate Cedric Ceballos said on Instagram. “Grew up as kids together.”

Campbell entered the league with elite upside, pairing an impressive frame with uber athleticism. While he never quite reached the heights many projected, he remained an imposing interior defender with a nice touch around the rim throughout stops in LA, Charlotte, Seattle, New Orleans and Detroit.

Scott believed Campbell had all the makings of a superstar but recognized he was content taking a backseat to enjoy the game he loved.

“I thought that if he really, really wanted to be good — and that’s the only thing I would say negative about him — is that [he] had the potential to be a great player,” Scott said. “He just wanted to play. He didn’t work out until his contract was up and he got ready to try to get another one. He didn’t put that time in, but he had some skills. He was big and strong and could jump out of the gym. He had that nice little turnaround jump shot. He didn’t want to be great, to be honest with you. He just wanted to play. But what a good guy.”