Elden Campbell, a member of the Detroit Pistons’ 2004 NBA Championship team, died at the age of 57, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The cause of Campbell’s death has not been disclosed.
Campbell, originally from Inglewood, California, spent most of his 15-year career with his childhood favorite team, the Los Angeles Lakers, after the 6-foot-11 center was drafted out of Clemson with the 27th overall pick in 1990.
Stints with the Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets and the Seattle Supersonics preceded his arrival in Detroit in 2003.
Known for his calm demeanor and reliability throughout a lengthy career, Campbell — nicknamed ‘Easy E’ — was an integral part of winning the NBA Championship in 2004. Campbell was the primary defender on Lakers center Shaquille O’Neal during their finals series, helping to challenge one of the elite bigs in the NBA.
"He was such a gentle soul," ex-Lakers teammate Magic Johnson said in a post on X. “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...Rest in peace Big E!”
He played alongside Kobe Bryant and O’Neal in their early seasons with the Lakers before being traded to the Hornets alongside Eddie Jones for Glen Rice, J.R. Reid and B.J. Armstrong in 1999.
Campbell posted career numbers with the Hornets as he averaged 13.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per game in four seasons, covering 265 games as a full-time starter. In total, Campbell played 1,044 games and 106 playoff games.
After a 10-game stretch with the New Jersey Nets in 2004, he rejoined the Pistons for the final 40 games of his career during the 2004-2005 season before retiring at 36.
Campbell was inducted into the SoCal Basketball Hall of Fame this year and still remains Clemson’s all-time leading scorer from his time there from 1986-1990.
“I am deeply saddened to learn of Elden Campbell’s passing,” Cliff Ellis, Campbell’s coach at Clemson, said in a statement. “... 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.”
Campbell was in attendance for the 20th anniversary celebration of the Detroit championship team at Little Caesars Arena last year.
Former Lakers teammate and childhood friend Cedric Ceballos was among those to pay tribute to Campbell soon after reports emerged of his death.
“This one hurt to the bone. Grew up as kids together, ”Ceballos said in a post on Instagram. “Rest BIG EASY.”