The Gamble on Campbell: Lakers’ No. 1 Pick Starts Pro Journey

Morningside High alumnus Elden Campbell, the Lakers’ first-round pick in last month’s NBA draft, concedes that he was often homesick in his four years at Clemson University in South Carolina.

But he’s back home now--for good, he hopes. Proud of his Inglewood upbringing and loyal to his old neighborhood friends, Campbell said that being drafted by his hometown team was “like a dream.”

As he unofficially began his professional career last week, playing with the Lakers’ entry in the Southern California Summer Pro League at Loyola Marymount, he said that the reality of his good fortune is starting to sink in.

“I’m real excited; my whole family is,” the 6-foot-11 center said. “(On draft day), we had about 20 or 30 people at the house.

“Everybody was thrilled, and even more so now that I’m playing. Being away nine or 10 months out of the year, like I was in college, you miss out on a lot of things.

“You miss out on your friends, your family, everything. I just wanted to be a part of that again.

“I didn’t want to be away my whole career. Four years was tough enough.”

Campbell scored 10 points in his Laker debut, a 105-86 victory over Milwaukee Tuesday night. The following night, he keyed a 125-97 win over Chicago by scoring 25 points.

In Wednesday’s game against the Bulls, Campbell made nine of 14 field-goal attempts and was impressive in head-to-head competition with backup Chicago center Will Perdue. Randy Pfund, the Lakers’ assistant coach who is coaching the summer team, said that the poise Campbell has exhibited against more experienced players is a good sign of what’s to come.

Pfund said that playing in Los Angeles this summer and during the NBA season will be of great benefit to Campbell.

“It’s his hometown, and he’s just very comfortable here,” Pfund said. “He’s come in, and I think it’s been a real easy transition for him.”

But Campbell has a long way to go before the Lakers are totally comfortable with him as a player.

As a junior in 1984-85, Campbell led Morningside to the CIFSouthern Section 3-A Division championship, but Coach Carl Franklin wasn’t completely satisfied with Campbell’s development.

“He was very advanced in interior play and some other areas,” Franklin said. “But we just felt we left some untapped potential.”

After earning All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors in 1989-90 and finishing his career as Clemson’s all-time scoring leader with 1,880 points (15.3 average), doubts about Campbell’s desire have remained.

But Franklin has few complaints with Campbell.

“He was a good leader, and one of things about Elden is that he got along with everybody here, all the time,” Franklin said. “We feel good about him, on and off the court.

“He’s a good representative of Morningside and was helpful in getting (1990 Morningside graduate) Tyrone Paul to Clemson.”

Pfund said he was surprised to hear that anybody had ever questioned Campbell’s desire.

“To be honest with you, I haven’t even read that much about Elden,” Pfund said: “I’ve tried not to go in with any preconceived notions about what he is or what he isn’t.

“So far, based on what I’ve seen of Elden, there’s no rap on him at all. He’s done a nice job and worked hard in practice.

“He does have a smooth game, and he’s so athletic that he really makes it look effortless. Maybe that makes it sometimes look as though he’s not gritting his teeth the way some people want him to.”

Campbell’s critics point out that his scoring average and field-goal percentage dropped in his last two years with the Tigers, falling from respective highs of 18.8 and 62.9% in his sophomore season to 16.4 and 52.2% as as a senior.

But he did lead the ACC with 97 blocked shots and was fourth in rebounding (8.0) as a senior. He also led the Tigers to their first conference title.

Campbell credits Morningside with preparing him for athletic and academic success.

“I truly enjoyed Morningside High School, my teammates and everyone else,” he said. “(The experience) is one of those things that I’ll never forget--my whole time there, not just basketball.

“They turn out a lot of good people, and there are more coming. It’s not stopping with me.

“It’s going to keep on going. So, I’m just a part of (the Morningside tradition), but I’m very proud to be a part of it.”

Many of his current friends are former Morningside classmates. He said the motivation offered by friends is important to him.

“I set my own expectations, but my friends are very supportive,” he said. “That’s one thing that I have in my advantage in being back home.

“I don’t have the kind of friends who get down on me. I might get little teasing criticisms from friends, but nothing severe where it’s going to put a lot of pressure on me.

“They know what I’m capable of. If I have bad night, that’s all it is.”

Pfund isn’t expecting too many bad nights from Campbell--either in the summer league (which continues through the first two weeks of August) or in the regular season. Pfund said Campbell is another late first-round steal by the Lakers.

Lack of bulk is the 215-pound Campbell’s primary weakness, Pfund said. “And we’ve got him on a weight program already,” he said.

Other than that, Pfund has nothing but good things to say about Campbell: “He runs the court well, he’s a great leaper and shot blocker, he’s a great guy to throw lobs to, he’s got a soft touch.”

Campbell said that as a youngster he never thought much about playing for the Lakers although Morningside is little more than a stone’s throw from the Forum. But now that he has that opportunity, he isn’t about to let it go.

“I feel very fortunate to be here,” he said. “Right now, I just want to work hard to get off to a good start.

“That’s why I’m here--I want to make the best of my chance.”