Through the 2024-25 season, the Los Angeles Lakers have had a total of 506 players suit up for them, going back to their days in Minneapolis. Some were forgettable, some were serviceable, some were good and a select few were flat-out legendary.
During the Lakers’ 80th season of existence (they were founded back in 1946 as the Detroit Gems in the National Basketball League), LeBron Wire is taking a look at each player who has worn their jersey, whether it has been a purple and gold one or the ones they donned back in the Midwest during their early years.
Cazzie Russell was a big star at the University of Michigan, where he averaged 27.1 points and 8.5 rebounds a game in three seasons while leading the school to two Final Four appearances. The New York Knicks made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 1966 NBA Draft, and he played a supporting role when the Knicks won the world championship in 1970.
In 1971, Russell was traded to the Golden State Warriors for Hall of Famer Jerry Lucas, and he made the All-Star team in his first season with them. In 1974, the Lakers signed him as a free agent.
The 6-foot-5 forward became one of the main scoring threats for the rebuilding Lakers. But he played in just 40 games during the 1974-75 season, and while he was healthy and productive during the following two campaigns, L.A. waived him just prior to the start of the 1977-78 season.
Russell spent that season, his final one in the NBA, with the Chicago Bulls. During his time in the league, he had an average of 15.1 points a game, and he put up 14.5 points per game during his three years with the Lakers.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Lakers jersey history No. 32/No. 33 — Cazzie Russell
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