Cazzie Russell

Not to be confused with Campy Russell.

Cazzie Lee Russell (born June 7, 1944) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. An NBA All-Star, he was selected by the New York Knicks with the first overall pick of the 1966 NBA draft. He won an NBA championship with the Knicks in 1970.

Cazzie Russell

Russell accepts the 1966 Big Ten MVP trophy
Personal information
Born	(1944-06-07) June 7, 1944 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight	218 lb (99 kg)
Career information
High school	Carver (Chicago, Illinois)
College	Michigan (1963–1966)
NBA draft	1966: 1st round, 1st overall pick
Selected by the New York Knicks
Playing career	1966–1981
Position	Small forward
Number	14, 33, 32
Coaching career	1981–present
Career history
As player:
1966–1971	New York Knicks
1971–1974	Golden State Warriors
1974–1977	Los Angeles Lakers
1977–1978	Chicago Bulls
1978–1979	Great Falls Sky
1980–1981	Philadelphia Kings
1982	Lancaster Lightning
As coach:
1981–1982	Lancaster Lightning
1988–1990	Atlanta Hawks (assistant)
1996–2009	SCAD
2014–2017	Armstrong State (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
As player: NBA champion (1970) NBA All-Star (1972) NBA All-Rookie First Team (1967) CBA Newcomer of the Year (1981) National college player of the year (1966) 2× Consensus first-team All-American (1965, 1966) Consensus second-team All-American (1964) No. 33 retired by Michigan Wolverines Mr. Basketball USA (1962) Fourth-team Parade All-American (1962) As coach: CBA Coach of the Year (1982)
Career NBA statistics
Points	12,377 (15.1 ppg)
Rebounds	3,068 (3.8 rpg)
Assists	1,838 (2.2 apg)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball Reference
College Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2011

College career

Russell, between John Egan and Ron Miller of the Loyola Ramblers, lunges for the ball

In 1962, while playing at Chicago's Carver High School, Russell was named the Chicago Sun-Times Boys' Player of the Year. Russell played college basketball at the University of Michigan.

Along with Bill Buntin, Russell led the Wolverines to three consecutive Big Ten Conference titles (1964–66) and to Final Four appearances in 1964 and 1965, losing in the final game 91–80 to defending national champion UCLA and John Wooden in 1965.

In 1966, Russell averaged 30.8 points per game and was named the College Basketball Player of the Year. Crisler Arena, which opened in 1967, has been dubbed The House that Cazzie Built. Russell was also initiated into Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity - Sigma Chapter in 1964.

Professional career

Russell was drafted by the New York Knicks with the first overall pick of the 1966 NBA draft, playing for them for five seasons (1966–1971). While playing for the Knicks he was named to the 1967 All-Rookie Team and won the NBA Finals in 1970.

He was primarily the sixth man during his five seasons with the Knicks where he scored 4,584 points in 344 games. His playing time diminished during his last two years in New York as he sustained on separate occasions a fractured ankle and wrist. His desire to be traded by the Knicks was granted on May 7, 1971, when he was acquired by the Golden State Warriors for Jerry Lucas. He appeared in the 1972 NBA All-Star Game.

Russell was the first player in NBA history to leave a team after finishing his option year when he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers on September 6, 1974. The Warriors did not offer him a no-cut contract. While with the Lakers he became the last player to wear the number 32 and 33 jerseys before Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. With the Lakers having signed Jamaal Wilkes during the offseason, Russell was one of the team's last player cuts entering the 1977–78 campaign when he was waived on October 16. In 1978, he signed with the Chicago Bulls, which would conclude his NBA career.

In total, Russell spent 12 seasons in the NBA (1966–1978).

During the 1978–79 season, Russell played for the Great Falls Sky of the Western Basketball Association (WBA). He ended his career after the 1980–81 season when he played for the Philadelphia Kings of the Continental Basketball Association.

Coaching career

In 1981, he became the head coach for the Lancaster Lightning of the CBA. He guided the team to the 1981–82 league championship. During the playoffs, with his team depleted by injuries, Russell came out of retirement and played for the Lightning in the final game of the league championship series, played in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Russell was named the CBA Coach of the Year in 1982. Russell later coached the Wyoming Wildcatters, Grand Rapids Hoops and Columbus Horizon of the CBA and the Mid-Michigan Great Lakers in the Global Basketball Association. He also served as assistant coach of the Atlanta Hawks for two seasons (1988–1990).

Russell was the head coach of the men's basketball team at the Savannah College of Art and Design for 13 seasons, until the college eliminated the sport in 2009. He still remains at the college in an administrative capacity.

He served as an assistant coach at Armstrong State University until 2017 when it was discontinued.

He spent several years as head coach at Centennial High School in Columbus, Ohio, during the mid-1990s before taking the job in Georgia. He is now the assistant coach of the Flagler College Saints women's basketball team.

Military service

During the 1960s, while with the Knicks, Russell was in the Fighting 69th Regiment of the New York Army National Guard. He started in the army as a private. He participated in army service during the basketball season, including being recalled to active duty during national emergencies.

Honors

In 2006, Russell was voted as one of the 100 Legends of the IHSA Boys Basketball Tournament, a group of former players and coaches in honor of the 100 anniversary of the IHSA boys basketball tournament.

Russell received the Bobby Jones Award in 2015 at the Athletes in Action All Star Breakfast, which is held each year at the NBA All Star Weekend.

In 2016 Russell was the recipient of the Coach Wooden "Keys to Life" Award at the Athletes in Action Legends of the Hardwood Breakfast, which is held each year at the Final Four.

NBA career statistics

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goal percentage	3P%	3-point field goal percentage	FT%	Free throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high
†	Won an NBA championship

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1966–67	New York	77	–	22.0	.436	–	.785	3.3	2.4	–	–	11.3
1967–68	New York	82	–	28.0	.462	–	.808	4.6	2.4	–	–	16.9
1968–69	New York	50	–	32.9	.450	–	.796	4.2	2.3	–	–	18.3
1969–70†	New York	78	–	20.0	.498	–	.775	3.0	1.7	–	–	11.5
1970–71	New York	57	–	18.5	.429	–	.773	3.4	1.4	–	–	9.2
1971–72	Golden State	79	–	36.7	.455	–	.833	5.4	3.1	–	–	21.4
1972–73	Golden State	80	–	30.4	.458	–	.864	4.4	2.3	–	–	15.7
1973–74	Golden State	82	–	31.4	.482	–	.835	4.3	2.3	.7	.2	20.5
1974–75	L.A. Lakers	40	–	26.4	.455	–	.894	2.9	2.7	.7	.1	15.7
1975–76	L.A. Lakers	74	–	22.0	.463	–	.892	2.5	1.6	.7	.0	11.8
1976–77	L.A. Lakers	82	–	31.5	.490	–	.858	3.6	2.6	1.0	.1	16.4
1977–78	Chicago	36	–	21.9	.438	–	.860	2.3	1.7	.5	.1	8.8
Career		817	–	27.2	.464	–	.827	3.8	2.4	.8	.1	15.1
All-Star		1	0	20.0	.308	–	1.000	1.0	.0	–	–	10.0

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1967	New York	4	–	22.3	.394	–	.769	4.8	2.8	–	–	15.5
1968	New York	6	–	34.8	.561	–	.833	3.8	1.7	–	–	21.7
1969	New York	5	–	7.2	.238	–	1.000	1.0	.2	–	–	2.4
1970†	New York	19	–	16.1	.485	–	.947	2.5	.8	–	–	9.4
1971	New York	11	–	10.9	.391	–	1.000	2.0	.7	–	–	5.6
1972	Golden State	5	–	32.2	.492	–	.750	4.4	1.8	–	–	14.2
1973	Golden State	11	–	23.9	.490	–	.864	3.3	1.5	–	–	14.8
1977	L.A. Lakers	11	–	34.7	.414	–	.880	4.4	2.3	1.5	.1	15.8
Career		72	–	21.8	.460	–	.870	3.1	1.3	1.5	.1	11.8

See also

• University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor