Elden Campbell, the all-time leading scorer in the history of Clemson University basketball and a 15-year veteran of the NBA, passed away on Monday at the age of 57.
Campbell played in the NBA from 1990 to 2005 after being a first-round pick by the Los Angeles Lakers, his hometown team. Originally from Inglewood, California, Campbell joined the Lakers in the final season of their Showtime Era, as it was Magic Johnson’s last full season with the team. Los Angeles made the NBA Finals in Campbell’s rookie year but fell short to the Chicago Bulls.
He would spend nine years with the Lakers, teaming with Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant in his later years with the team. In 1999, however, he was traded from Los Angeles to the Charlotte Hornets in a deal in which the Lakers acquired Glen Rice.
After more than four years with the Hornets, Campbell had a brief stint with the Seattle SuperSonics before finally getting another shot at an NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons. He was a reserve on Detroit’s 2003–2004 championship-winning season, which, coincidentally, was played against the Lakers.
Campbell was frequently deployed to defend his former teammate O’Neal, and won the only NBA title of his career in his 14th and penultimate NBA season, at the age of 35.
He would play one more season in 2004–2005 before retiring with 1,044 games under his belt. For his career, Campbell averaged 10.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game. Though he never made an All-Star Team, Campbell was often hailed for his defense and ability to protect the rim. When he retired in 2005, he ranked 22nd in NBA history for blocked shots with 1,602 career blocks.
While Campbell was a role player in the NBA, he was a star at Clemson University. He was part of one of the most successful eras in Clemson basketball history during his four-year stint from 1986–1990. The Tigers claimed what remains their only regular season conference championship in 1990 and also made their second-ever Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA Tournament that season.
Over his four-year college career, Campbell made three All-ACC Teams. He was on the first team as a senior, the second team as a junior, and the third team as a sophomore. He was also an All-American Honorable Mention in the 1989–1990 season and remains Clemson’s all-time leading scorer with 1,880 points. A decade after his final collegiate game, Campbell was inducted into the Clemson Hall of Fame in 2000.
Additionally, for his efforts first at Morningside High School in Inglewood, and then for his time with the Lakers, Campbell was inducted into the Southern California Basketball Hall of Fame earlier this year in Anaheim.
Cliff Ellis, who coached Campbell at Clemson, issued a statement through the university on Campbell’s passing in which he hailed him for both his ability as a player and his character as a person.
“I am deeply saddened to learn of Elden Campbell’s passing,” Ellis said. “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.”
Then on Nov. 21, Rodney Rogers, who was the NBA’s 1999–2000 Sixth Man of the Year award winner, died at the age of 54. Like Campbell, Rogers also starred in the ACC, at Wake Forest, and like Campbell, Rogers was also a three-time All-ACC selection.
