Lakers Moments: Elden Campbell picks up the slack

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A force to be reckoned with: Lakers center Elden Campbell is hemmed in between Cleveland Cavaliers players Shawn Kemp and Wesley Person in a game at the Forum on Dec. 7, 1997.

The team’s leading scorer of the 1990s, Campbell played 618 games with the Lakers, establishing himself as one of the best blockers in team history.

A star at Morningside High in Inglewood and then at Clemson, the 6-foot-11 center was selected by the Lakers in the first round of the 1990 draft. After struggling during the first three years, Campbell hit his stride during the 1993-94 season, averaging 12.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game for a struggling team that posted its worst record in 44 years (.402 winning percentage).

He continued to improve his scoring and blocking statistics but also struggled with turnovers and led the league in fouls in 1995-96. With the addition of Shaquille O’Neal to the lineup in 1996-97, Campbell posted a career high in points as the Lakers’ strong inside game helped them finish second in the Pacific Division.

Read more about Elden Campbell and where he ranks in the team’s career blocked shots in All Things Lakers, the L.A. Times’ interactive database of all things purple and gold.

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-- Austin Knoblauch