No. 18: Cazzie Russell
Russell took his game from hard-nosed city playgrounds all the way to an NBA crown
Larry Hawkins found the 18th Greatest Athlete in Chicago History and perhaps the finest college basketball player the city has ever produced in a Carver High gym class in 1958. He was the 6-1 son of a steel mill worker from nearby Altgeld Gardens housing project.
His name was Cazzie Russell, and he was destined to become a basketball star the likes of which Chicago had never seen.
(Sun-Times file)
''I'm in a P.E. class and he comes up and tells two or three of us he wants us to stay after class,'' Russell said. ''My first reaction was, 'What have I done?' He had us shoot some baskets, bank shots and layups from each side. He wanted to take a look at us. I took it seriously. I made both bank shots and hit my layups and he said, 'I want you to come out for the team.'''
Hawkins, the longtime Carver coach and educator, drilled fundamentals into the promising freshman. By the time he was a junior, Russell was one of the best players in the state. As a senior averaging 25 points per game, he led Carver to Public League and city championships. Many high school basketball observers had never seen anything like this futuristic man-child, whose combination of size (now 6-5) and athleticism allowed him to dominate any position on the floor.
Despite Carver losing a controversial state title game to Decatur, when it came to Illinois basketball, Cazzie was king.
''You had to go around Chicago and play in different tournaments to get the stamp of approval,'' Russell said. ''You had to play on the East Side, 71st Street and at the Y to prove that you weren't a fluke. Guys are tough in Chicago, man. They learn how to play. You can't be a softee and play in Chicago.''
The brand of basketball that Russell learned on the playgrounds served him well in the Big Ten after he chose a woebegone Michigan program over some 70 other schools because, after watching them on television, he decided ''they were so bad they needed some help.''
After sitting out his freshman year, as NCAA rules dictated, Russell scored 30 points in his college debut and went on to average 24.8 points to break Michigan's single-season scoring record and earn All-American honors while leading the Wolverines to their first Big Ten title in 16 years, a first-ever NCAA regional championship and a third-place finish at the NCAA championships.
After his first full college season, legendary UCLA coach John Wooden said Russell was better as a sophomore than superstars Oscar Robertson and Jerry Lucas had been. One NBA scout told the Sun-Times that Russell was talented enough to play in the NBA ''right now.''
Turning pro wasn't an option for Russell, who was accomplishing something few thought possible: He was transforming a traditional football power into a basketball school. People began lining up for tickets outside antiquated Yost Fieldhouse as Russell shattered his own single-season scoring record twice more during his junior and senior seasons. Overflow crowds resulted in additional bleachers being built so fans could watch the soon-to-be three-time All-American and two-time Big Ten MVP lead the Wolverines to two more Big Ten titles and the 1965 NCAA Championship game, where his team fell to the fabled Bruins.
By the time he was a senior, when he was named the 1966 College Player of the Year after averaging 30.1 points, Michigan basketball games were being broadcast live on local television and a larger basketball arena was being built on campus.
''He not only impacted Michigan basketball but Michigan athletics,'' said ex-Michigan player and coach Dave Strack, whose relationship with the school dates to 1941. ''In my opinion, Cazzie is the best athlete to play any sport at Michigan. That's how big of an impact he made.''
Russell was a key contributor when the Knicks won their first NBA title in 1970. He averaged 15 points during a 12-year NBA career.
''Cazzie could score on anybody and from all over the floor,'' former Warriors teammate Jim Barnett said. ''I never saw anybody shoot the ball with less trajectory yet have so much success with it. It was the most amazing thing. He had a very flat shot but it was the softest shot on the rim I've ever seen. He always got bounces.''
Russell recently completed his 12th season as coach of Division III Savannah (Ga.) School of Art and Design. He also is an ordained minister.
''I don't have any complaints,'' he said. ''I went to the pinnacle of basketball. Nobody can take that away.''
THE CAZZIE RUSSELL FILE
Full name: Cazzie Lee Russell.
>Sport: Basketball.
>High school: Carver.
>College: Michigan.
>Career highlights: Averaged 21 points in three years at Carver, including 25 his senior year, when he led Challengers to city title. Scored 24 points in dramatic loss to Decatur in 1962 state championship game. Led Michigan to three consecutive Big Ten titles (1964-66) -- the program's first since 1948 -- and to Final Four appearances in 1964 and 1965. Scored school-record 670 points as a sophomore. Went on to break his own scoring record in each of his next two seasons. His career 27.1 points per game average is tops in Michigan history, as is his 30.8 average in 1966. He finished his career with 2,163 points, breaking Bill Buntin's school record by 439 points. Three-time All-American and two-time Big Ten MVP was named College Basketball Player of the Year in 1966. The enthusiasm and fan support he generated at Michigan led to the construction of Crisler Area, which was dubbed, ''The House that Cazzie Built.'' Russell was the NBA's first draft pick in 1966 (by the Knicks), and was named to the 1967 All-Rookie team. He was part of the famous 1970 Knicks team that won the NBA championship over the Los Angeles Lakers. Russell played in the 1972 NBA All-Star Game while with the Golden State Warriors. He averaged 15 points per game during a 12-year NBA career that ended with a stint with the Bulls in 1977-78. He currently is coach of Division III Savannah (Ga.) College of Art and Design.