Fort Lauderdale, Fla. — Elden Campbell, a 15-year NBA veteran and Clemson’s career scoring leader, died Monday after a medical emergency caused him to drown while fishing, family members and Broward County authorities said.
Thomas Steinkamp, chief of investigative services for the Broward County Medical Examiner’s Office, told People the death was the result of drowning. The Broward County Sheriff’s Office classified the incident as accidental, according to TMZ.
Campbell’s sister, Sandra, told The New York Post the 57-year-old had just returned to shore in Florida when the medical episode occurred “all of a sudden.” She said relatives still do not know the underlying cause.
Nicknamed “Big Easy,” Campbell scored 1,880 points during his Clemson career from 1986-90, a program record. The 6-11 center was a three-time All-ACC selection, helped the Tigers reach three NCAA tournaments and guided the school to its lone ACC regular-season title in 1990 before a Sweet 16 loss to UConn.
Selected in the first round of the 1990 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers, Campbell averaged 10.3 points and 5.9 rebounds over 1,044 career games. He played nine seasons with the Lakers, followed by stints in Charlotte, Seattle, New Jersey and Detroit, winning an NBA championship with the Pistons in 2003-04. He ranks second in Clemson history with 334 blocks and eighth with 836 rebounds.
Clemson announced his death earlier this week without providing details.
Source: ESPN
