The causes of Elden Campbell’s death, the Los Angeles Lakers‘ gentle giant who didn’t want to be a star, have been revealed.
People reports that the 7-foot-1 center died tragically after suffering a medical emergency while fishing.
“It was sudden. He wasn’t sick. He was fishing”
A sister of the player told the New York Post that her brother was in the water and had returned to shore when he collapsed: “It was sudden. He wasn’t sick. He was fishing”.TMZ Sports reports that, according to authorities, Elden Campbell died by accidental drowning.
The Florida medical examiner indicated that Campbell, 57, was pronounced dead at 8:03 p.m. on December 1.
Campbell’s family issued a statement about his death: “Elden was a man of faith who trusted in his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Husband, father, brother, cousin and friend. He was a man for whom family was everything: generous, funny, disciplined and kind, but able to shut you up if necessary. A man of God, he spent most of his life doing what he loved: fishing in the ocean, enjoying his ideal day.”
The former Lakers player, who played alongside Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, is survived by his wife, Rosemary, his four children: Jay Lee, Jael, Ariel and Aaron, as well as his siblings: his sister Sandra and his brothers Elwayne and Charles Jr.
Elden Campbell’s NBA career
In his NBA career, Elden Campbell played for the Los Angeles Lakers (1990 to 1999), Hornets, Pistons, Nets and Pistons.
He averaged 14.9 points per game with the Lakers during the 1996-97 season, playing alongside Shaq and Kobe.
Campbell’s best season was with the Charlotte Hornets, where he averaged 15.3 points and 9.4 rebounds.
Elden Campbell, who earned more than $69 million in his 15-year NBA career, averaged 10.3 points and 5.9 rebounds
Elden Campbell took part in Malice at the Palace, the mother of all basketball fights
Elden Campbell, who was an NBA champion with the Detroit Pistons, participated in the mother of all fights in basketball.
In the NBA on November 19, 2004, the worst fight in American professional sports history occurred: Malice at the Palace.
The Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons became embroiled in a conflict that ended in the stands of the Palace of Auburn Hills with fans being assaulted and hefty penalties handed out.
Read the full article here
