16-year NBA veteran Elden Campbell has died.
The news was confirmed on Tuesday by the Los Angeles Times. He was 57. Several former players offered their condolences, including Campbell’s ex-Lakers teammates Cedric Ceballos and Byron Scott.
“This one hurt to the bone,” wrote Ceballos in an Instagram post. “Grew up as kids together. Rest BIG EASY.”
From Cedric Ceballos pic.twitter.com/fbgUOztIR0
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) December 3, 2025
Scott commemorated Campbell’s easy-going nature, which earned him the nickname “Easy E.”
“I just remember his demeanor. That’s why we nicknamed him ‘Easy E,’ ” Scott told the LA Times’ Broderick Turner. “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.”
The Lakers selected Campbell 27th overall in the 1990 NBA Draft. The Clemson product went on to play his first nine seasons for the purple and gold, primarily as a starter in the Lakers’ frontcourt. He averaged 10.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks across 618 games (381 starts) in a Lakers uniform.
Campbell enjoyed his best season during the 1996-97 campaign, when he averaged 14.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 77 games as the team’s starting power forward. He was later traded to the Charlotte Hornets in the deal that sent Glen Rice to the Lakers.
After lengthy stints with the Lakers and Hornets, Campbell bounced around the league during the latter part of his 16-year career. He won a championship in 2004 as a reserve for the Detroit Pistons. He also played for the Seattle SuperSonics and New Jersey Nets before announcing his retirement after the 2004-05 season.
