Elden Campbell, the longtime NBA center and member of the Detroit Pistons’ 2004 championship team, died on Monday in Broward County. He was 57.
Campbell died “due to drowning,” Thomas Steinkamp, chief of investigative services for Broward County, confirmed to People. The Broward County Sheriff’s Office determined the death was accidental.
A 15-year NBA veteran, Campbell was drafted in the first round in 1990 by the Los Angeles Lakers, with whom he spent the bulk of his career, the NBA wrote in a statement after his death. Over 618 games in Los Angeles, the 6-foot-11 center averaged 10.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.7 blocks. He later played for the Charlotte Hornets, New Orleans Hornets, Seattle SuperSonics and New Jersey Nets, according to the NBA.
Campbell joined the Detroit Pistons in 2003 and became a key reserve during the team’s 2004 title run. He appeared in 95 games with Detroit from 2003–05.
The Pistons organization said it was “deeply saddened and heartbroken” by the news. “A proud member of our 2004 NBA Championship team, Elden patrolled the paint with strength and skill, playing an important role during one of the most memorable chapters in franchise history,” the team said in a statement. “Beyond his contributions on the court, Elden’s calm presence and warm personality made him beloved by teammates, fans, and the community alike.”
Campbell’s family remembered him as a man of deep faith whose life centered around those he loved. “Elden was a man of faith who trusted in his lord and savior Jesus Christ,” the family said in a statement. “He was … generous, funny, disciplined and kind, but could shut you down if required. A man of God, he passed doing what he loved; fishing out on the ocean, enjoying his idea of an ideal day.”
He is survived by his wife, Rosemary; children Jay Lee, Jael, Ariel and Aaron; and siblings Elwayne, Sandra and Charles Jr.