LOS ANGELES — Elden Campbell, the Inglewood native who spent more than half of his 15-year NBA career with the team he grew up watching, has died at the age of 57. The former Lakers forward and center played 8½ seasons in Los Angeles and became a fixture during a transformative era for the franchise.
Campbell, a Morningside High alum who went on to star at Clemson before being selected by the Lakers in the first round of the 1990 NBA Draft, averaged 10.3 points and 5.9 rebounds over his career. He won his lone NBA championship in 2004 with the Detroit Pistons—ironically securing the title against the Lakers.
Known for his calm, smooth style of play and steady presence in the locker room, the 6-foot-11 Campbell earned the nickname “Easy E,” a nod to his easygoing demeanor and methodical approach on the court.
Former teammate Byron Scott, who also grew up in Inglewood and attended Morningside, said the news hit him hard. Scott and Campbell played together during Scott’s final Lakers 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.”
Campbell posted one of the best seasons of his career that year, averaging 14.9 points while playing alongside Shaquille O’Neal and a young Kobe Bryant. His peak statistical season came with the Charlotte Hornets, when he averaged 15.3 points and 9.4 rebounds.
Cedric Ceballos, another former Lakers teammate and childhood friend, wrote on Instagram, “This one hurt to the bone. Grew up as kids together.”
Campbell was inducted into the SoCal Basketball Hall of Fame in 2025, recognized for both his contributions on the court and his presence in the Southern California basketball community.
After leaving Clemson, Campbell was considered a big man with elite upside—blessed with size, strength and athleticism. Though he never fully reached the superstardom some projected, he became a respected rim protector, interior scorer and dependable teammate throughout stops in Los Angeles, Charlotte, Seattle, New Orleans and Detroit.
Scott said Campbell’s talent was unmistakable but noted that the big man was content simply playing the game he loved.
“I thought that if he really, really wanted to be good… he had the potential to be a great player,” Scott told The Times. “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.”
Campbell’s legacy lives on in the city where he grew up, the franchise where he spent his formative NBA years, and the countless teammates and friends who affectionately knew him as “Easy E.”