Cazzie Lee Russell II
U of M Basketball
Player (1963 - 1966)
2x NCAA First-team All American
NCAA Basketball Player of the Year (1966)
College Basketball Hall of Fame
U of M Athletic Hall of Honor
Number "33" retired by the U of M Basketball program
2x NCAA First-team All American
NCAA Basketball Player of the Year (1966)
College Basketball Hall of Fame
U of M Athletic Hall of Honor
Number "33" retired by the U of M Basketball program
Cazzie Lee Russell II
University of Michigan Basketball Player (1963 – 1966)
Cazzie Russell was born in Chicago, Illinois and was named the 1962 Chicago Sun-Times Boy’s Player of the Year while playing at Chicago’s Carver High School. Russell continued his career at the University of Michigan leading the Wolverines to three consecutive Big Ten Championships as well two final four appearances and a second place finish losing to UCLA in the 1965 NCAA finals. He was named a two-time consensus First-team All-American and the National college player of the year (1966). Russell was the first player selected in the 1966 NBA draft by the New York Knicks and was named to the All-rookie team in 1967. He spent five seasons with the Knicks helping them win the 1970 NBA Championship. In all, Russell spent twelve seasons in the NBA with four different teams. Russell’s number 33 was retired by the University of Michigan. Cazzie Russell was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame, the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor and was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.