Elden Campbell (L) was teammates with Kobe Bryant (C) and Nick Van Exel during his Los Angeles Lakers tenure. File Photo by Heinz Ruckemann/UPI | License Photo
Clemson’s all-time scoring leader and former NBA center Elden Campbell, who won a title with the Detroit Pistons, has died, Clemson announced Wednesday. He was 57.
The school said Campbell died Tuesday, but did not disclose his cause of death.
“I am deeply saddened to learn of Elden Campbell’s passing,” Cliff Ellis, who coached Campbell at Clemson, said in a news release.
“Elden was a great player for four years, especially in 1989-90, when he was a major reason we won Clemson’s only ACC regular season championship. He went on to a 15-year career in the NBA and won a World Championship.”
“But 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 a three-time All-ACC selection from 1986 to 1990, when he led the Tigers to three NCAA tournament appearances. He was the No. 27 overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1990 NBA Draft.
The Tigers’ legend was teammates with Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and James Worthy, among other NBA standouts, during his nine-year tenure with the Lakers. Los Angeles made an NBA Finals, two Western Conference finals and five Western Conference semifinals appearances during that span.
The Lakers traded Campbell and Eddie Jones to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for B.J. Armstrong, J.R. Reid and Glen Rice in 1999.
The Hornets traded Campbell to the Seattle SuperSonics in exchange for Kenny Anderson in 2003. He signed with the Detroit Pistons the following off-season.
Campbell won a title with the Pistons in 2004, when they beat Bryant, O’Neal and the Lakers in five games. That stopped the Lakers from winning four championships in five years.
Campbell also played for the New Jersey Nets and Utah Jazz. He averaged 10.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.1 assists per game over 15 years in the NBA. Campbell logged a career-high 14.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.5 blocks per game over 77 starts for the Lakers in 1996-97.
He retired after the 2004-05 season, which he split between the Nets and Pistons.
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Jimmy CliffReggae singer Jimmy Cliff performs during The Climate Rally concert in honor of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, in Washington on April 25, 2010. Cliff, a Grammy winner and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee died best known for “The Harder They Come,” died at the age of 81 on November 24. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
