Russell's parents were always moving. As the only son of a military family, the only real consistencies in Russell's life were basketball and music. Though he was born in Louisiana, he didn't return to the state until he was ten; by then, he'd been all over the country, including spending three years in Germany.

He was something of a late bloomer; Russell was a very bright young man and was often the target of bullying by older kids. Despite his love for the sport, once he'd settled in New Orleans, he realized how utterly outclassed he was on the court. To compensate for his smaller stature among his peers, he practiced for hours, developing an unorthodox style through constant street ball. There wasn't a day that he wasn't on the court; even if he was sick or injured, he was watching others play.

By his sophomore year in high school, his lack of size hadn't changed, but his drive was something even his peers could no longer deny. It earned him a reputation, and coaches at his high school gambled on him by making him one of two varsity sophomores in his high school that year.

Russell Savoy quickly became a breakout star at 15, able to shake defenders with impressive ball handling skills and a great shooting average. His passing ability consistently improved, and when he had his growth spurt, he was truly a wonder to watch on the court.

Much of his talent and drive, however, could easily be attributed to the amount of time he spent away from home. His father--who introduced him to basketball in the first place--died in an off shore drilling accident, and his mother fell into a deep depression resulting in a heroin habit. To salvage what was bound to be a promising career, one of the assistant coaches allowed Russell to stay with him until he graduated high school.

Several colleges offered Russell scholarships. By the time he was 18, his family life had deteriorated so badly that his public signing to Ursa State University was nearly sabotaged by his mother, who showed up for the signing ceremony only to steal the paperwork right off the stage and flee the scene, disappearing for nearly three days before she was found. It brought a significant amount of negative publicity to Russell's basketball career, but Ursa State took a chance on him anyway.

College life and being far away from home definitely took its toll on Russell in his freshman year. He struggled to find a balance between his grades and his game, and both suffered in that first year. That was when he met his current girlfriend--Tina Romero, a snow leopard and dance major from Edmonton. It seemed unusual for a single person to alter another's focus so drastically, but Tina's matter-of-fact way of doing things gave Russell the focus he needed both on and off the court. Tina pushed him to look at his game from all angles and cultivate a better image for himself than 'that talented bearcat with the crazy mother'.