National Basketball Association titleholder Elden Campbell has passed away at the age of 57. The athlete, who played professionally for 15 years, was with the Los Angeles Lakers for a duration of nine years, the Charlotte Hornets (previously) for four years, and also was a player for the Detroit Pistons, the New Orleans Hornets (previously), Seattle SuperSonics, and the New Jersey Nets (previously).
The passing of Campbell, which took place on Dec. 1, was caused by drowning, according to Broward County’s chief of investigative services, Thomas Steinkamp, who informed People. The Sheriff’s Office of Broward County has stated that it was an accidental death.
Campbell, chosen in the first round, was the 27th overall selection by the Lakers during the 1990 draft. He flourished, averaging 15 points each game on a team that included Shaquille O’Neal and rookie Kobe Bryant throughout the 1996-97 season. During the early to mid ’90s, he was a crucial two-way participant for the Lakers teams, also being the second-highest scorer in the 1994-95 playoffs for the team.
Despite being known mostly for playing with the Lakers, Campbell became a titleholder with the Pistons back in 2004, when they were victorious against his old team during the National Basketball Association Finals.
Before his National Basketball Association profession, Campbell was a renowned college participant at Clemson, where he achieved All ACC status twice, also leading the Tigers to what remains their sole regular season conference title during the 1990 season. Campbell secured an average of 16.4 points during the aforementioned season and was the top ACC player in terms of blocks each game across three of his four years. Campbell assisted Clemson to reach a Sweet 16 position during his senior year.
Campbell continues to hold Clemson’s all-time leading scorer record with 1,880 career points, as well as being second for total blocks. Cliff Ellis, Campbell’s coach when at Clemson, expressed how vital the player was to the Tigers’ performance.
“It is with deep sadness that I have been informed about the passing of Elden Campbell,” Ellis stated in a statement provided through the Los Angeles Times. “Elden was a wonderful player throughout the duration of four years, specifically during 1989-90 when he was a key factor in winning Clemson’s sole ACC regular season title. … However, most of all, Elden was an individual who was giving and exceptional. This is a day filled with sadness for Clemson.”
Magic Johnson, an National Basketball Association Hall of Famer, who was a teammate of Campbell for a period of two seasons, shared his reflections about his former teammate’s passing on social media.
“The news I have just received about the passing of Elden Campbell, a former Lakers teammate and friend, is extremely devastating. He possessed such a gentle nature. As a basketball athlete, he had significant athletic capabilities. I thoroughly enjoyed lobbing towards Elden due to his jumping abilities and the talent he possessed! Cookie and myself are sending prayers towards his family members, as well as Lakers Nation while they grieve at this difficult time. May he rest in peace!”
The Lakers also shared their sympathy through a social media update.
A variety of Campbell’s past teammates expressed their sadness through social media relating to the announcement, including Cedric Ceballos. “This one hurt me deeply,” Ceballos stated on a post on Instagram along with an image of Campbell. “We grew up with one another from childhood.”
Campbell had membership within the 2025 Southern California Basketball Hall of Fame, and was selected to be a part of Clemson’s Hall of Fame back in 2000.
