Former Lakers big man Elden Campbell passed away

Elden Campbell, a former NBA big man who was a mainstay on the Los Angeles Lakers throughout the 1990s, reportedly passed away on Monday at the age of 57. He helped hold things down as the Lakers rebuilt throughout that decade and provided them with scoring, rebounding and even some defense up front during that time.

He was born and raised in the Los Angeles area and attended Morningside High School in Inglewood, Calif., which was just blocks away from The Forum, the Lakers' home arena from 1967 to 1999.

Via Los Angeles Times:

“He was a man to whom family meant everything — generous, funny, disciplined and kind, but could shut you down if required,” the Campbell family said in a statement Wednesday. “A man of God, he passed doing what he loved; fishing out on the ocean, enjoying his idea of an ideal day.”

After four seasons at Clemson University, Campbell was taken by the Lakers with the No. 27 pick in the 1990 NBA Draft. He possessed ample athleticism and was thought by some to have star potential, but he never quite fully developed his offensive game. His inconsistent intensity and overall play earned him the derisive nickname "Seldom Campbell" from critics.

But the 6-foot-11 power forward/center did produce at a respectable level and was no bust. He became a full-time starter in his fourth season and averaged double figures in scoring for the first time, and three seasons later, he put up a career high of 14.9 points a game.

During the 1999 season, the Lakers sent Campbell and fan favorite guard Eddie Jones to the Charlotte Hornets for Glen Rice in what later became a controversial trade. Campbell played three seasons and change in Charlotte and continued to play solid basketball.

During the 2003-04 season, he won the NBA championship as a member of the Detroit Pistons, and ironically, the Pistons defeated the Lakers in the NBA Finals that season. Campbell retired after the following season with career averages of 10.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 24.7 minutes a game.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Former Lakers big man Elden Campbell passed away