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 Hagan in 1961 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 9, 1931 Owensboro, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | October 15, 2026 (aged 94) |
Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Owensboro (Owensboro, Kentucky) |
| College | Kentucky (1950–1954) |
| 1953: 3rd round, 22nd overall pick | |
| Drafted by | Boston Celtics |
Playing career | 1956–1969 |
| Position | Small forward |
| Number | 6, 17, 16 |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| 1956–1966 | St. Louis Hawks |
| 1967–1969 | Dallas Chaparrals |
Coaching | |
| 1967–1970 | Dallas Chaparrals |
| Career highlights | |
| |
| Career NBA and ABA statistics | |
| Points | 14,780 (17.7 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 5,555 (6.6 rpg) |
| Assists | 2,646 (3.2 apg) |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
| Basketball Hall of Fame | |
| Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame | |
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Clifford Oldham Hagan (December 9, 1931 – October 15, 2026) was an American professional basketball player. A 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) small forward[1] who excelled with the hook shot,[2] Hagan, nicknamed "Li'l Abner",[1] played his entire ten-year National Basketball Association (NBA) career (1956–1966) with the St. Louis Hawks. He was also a player-coach for the Dallas Chaparrals in the first two-plus years of the American Basketball Association's existence (1967–1970).[3] Hagan was a five-time NBA All-Star and an ABA All-Star. He won an NCAA basketball championship in 1951 as a member of the Kentucky Wildcats and an NBA championship with the Hawks in 1958.
College and military career
University of Kentucky
Hagan played college basketball at the University of Kentucky under legendary coach Adolph Rupp.[2] As a sophomore in 1951, he helped Kentucky win the NCAA championship with a 68–58 victory over Kansas State.
In the fall of 1952, a point-shaving scandal involving three Kentucky players forced Kentucky to forfeit Hagan's senior season. Hagan graduated from Kentucky in 1953 and, as a result, became eligible for the NBA draft. Despite having graduated, and despite being drafted by the Boston Celtics, he returned to play at Kentucky for the 1953–1954 season. On December 5, 1953, Hagan set a Kentucky single-game record of 51 points; this performance would not be surpassed until 1970. After finishing the regular season with a perfect 25–0 record and a #1 ranking in the Associated Press, Kentucky was offered a bid into the NCAA tournament. However, then-existing NCAA rules prohibited graduate students from participating in post-season play; the Wildcats declined the bid because their participation would have forced them to play without Hagan and two of his teammates. Hagan averaged 24 points per game that season.
At Kentucky, Hagan had scored 1,475 points,[4] which ranked him third in school history. He also grabbed 1,035 rebounds, which placed him second. In 1952 and 1954, he was named an All-American and was named First Team All-Southeastern Conference. His uniform number 6 was retired by the University of Kentucky.
U.S. Air Force
Hagan served in the U.S. military for two years after being drafted. In both of his years in the military (1954 and 1955), Hagan, stationed at Andrews Air Force Base, won Worldwide Air Force basketball championships.
Professional career
National Basketball Association (NBA)
After his military service, Hagan and Ed Macauley were traded to the St. Louis Hawks for the draft rights to Bill Russell.[5] In Game 6 of the 1957 NBA Finals on April 11, Hagan hit the game-winning buzzer beater shot to force Game 7 against the Boston Celtics, which is believed to be the first playoff buzzer-beater shot in NBA history.[6]
In 1958, the Hawks won the NBA championship, defeating the Boston Celtics 4–2 in the NBA Finals.[7] The Hawks won four Western Conference titles during Hagan's tenure with them.[citation needed] Hagan was named to five consecutive NBA All-Star Games from 1958 to 1962.[1]
In The Breaks of the Game,[full citation needed] David Halberstam wrote that Hagan was the only white star on the Hawks who welcomed African American teammates like Lenny Wilkens to the team and did not treat them with prejudice.
Hagan played 745 games over 10 NBA seasons. He scored 13,447 points for an 18.0 points per game average.[1]
American Basketball Association (ABA)
In 1967, the Dallas Chaparrals of the newly formed ABA hired Hagan as a player-coach. Hagan became the oldest player in the ABA during that season due to his status with the team, as well as what could technically be considered the oldest undrafted ABA player in the league (in terms of players selected after the 1967 ABA draft came and went) by that time. He scored 40 points in his team's first game. He also played in the first ABA All-Star Game that season, becoming the first player to play in all-star games in both the NBA and ABA. He retired as a player three games into the 1969–70 season and remained as coach of the Chaparrals until midway into the season.
Hagan played in 94 ABA games and scored 1,423 points for a 15.1 points per game average.[1]
University of Kentucky
In 1972, Hagan returned to the University of Kentucky as the school's assistant athletic director and took over the top job in 1975.[8] He was forced to resign due to recruiting and eligibility violations in November 1988[9] and was replaced by Hagan's one-time Kentucky teammate C. M. Newton.[10]
Legacy
Hagan was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978.[2] He was the first former University of Kentucky player to be so honored.
In 1993, the University of Kentucky renamed its baseball field in honor of Hagan.[11]
Personal life and death
Hagan married his wife, Martha, on September 4, 1954.[12]
Hagan died on October 15, 2026, at the age of 94.[13]
Career playing statistics
| 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 |
NBA/ABA
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956–57 | St. Louis | 67 | 14.5 | .361 | .690 | 3.7 | 1.3 | 5.5 |
| 1957–58† | St. Louis | 70 | 31.3 | .443 | .768 | 10.1 | 2.5 | 19.9 |
| 1958–59 | St. Louis | 72 | 37.5 | .456 | .774 | 10.9 | 3.4 | 23.7 |
| 1959–60 | St. Louis | 75 | 37.3 | .464 | .803 | 10.7 | 4.0 | 24.8 |
| 1960–61 | St. Louis | 77 | 35.1 | .444 | .820 | 9.3 | 4.9 | 22.1 |
| 1961–62 | St. Louis | 77 | 36.2 | .470 | .825 | 8.2 | 4.8 | 22.9 |
| 1962–63 | St. Louis | 79 | 21.7 | .465 | .800 | 4.3 | 2.4 | 15.5 |
| 1963–64 | St. Louis | 77 | 29.6 | .447 | .813 | 4.9 | 2.5 | 18.4 |
| 1964–65 | St. Louis | 77 | 22.6 | .436 | .799 | 3.6 | 1.8 | 13.0 |
| 1965–66 | St. Louis | 74 | 25.0 | .445 | .854 | 3.2 | 2.2 | 13.7 |
| 1967–68 | Dallas (ABA) | 56 | 31.0 | .489 | .789 | 6.0 | 4.9 | 18.2 |
| 1968–69 | Dallas (ABA) | 35 | 16.5 | .510 | .854 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 11.1 |
| 1969–70 | Dallas (ABA) | 3 | 9.0 | .615 | .500 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 5.7 |
| Career | 839 | 28.7 | .454 | .799 | 6.6 | 3.2 | 17.7 | |
| All-Star | 5 | 17.8 | .324 | 1.000 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 6.2 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | St. Louis | 10 | 31.9 | .361 | .730 | 11.2 | 2.8 | 17.0 |
| 1958† | St. Louis | 11 | 38.0 | .502 | .838 | 10.5 | 3.4 | 27.7 |
| 1959 | St. Louis | 6 | 43.2 | .512 | .833 | 12.0 | 2.7 | 28.5 |
| 1960 | St. Louis | 14 | 38.9 | .422 | .817 | 9.9 | 3.9 | 24.2 |
| 1961 | St. Louis | 12 | 37.9 | .443 | .812 | 9.8 | 4.5 | 22.0 |
| 1963 | St. Louis | 11 | 23.2 | .464 | .698 | 5.0 | 3.1 | 18.5 |
| 1964 | St. Louis | 12 | 32.7 | .429 | .833 | 6.2 | 4.8 | 16.3 |
| 1965 | St. Louis | 4 | 30.8 | .453 | .500 | 6.5 | 1.8 | 18.5 |
| 1966 | St. Louis | 10 | 20.0 | .454 | .926 | 3.4 | 1.8 | 11.3 |
| 1968 | Dallas (ABA) | 3 | 23.3 | .378 | .692 | 4.3 | 3.0 | 12.3 |
| 1969 | Dallas (ABA) | 2 | 22.5 | .357 | .800 | 3.0 | 7.0 | 9.0 |
| Career | 95 | 32.4 | .451 | .798 | 8.0 | 3.5 | 19.9 | |
Head coaching record
| Regular season | G | Games coached | W | Games won | L | Games lost | W–L % | Win–loss % |
| Playoffs | PG | Playoff games | PW | Playoff wins | PL | Playoff losses | PW–L % | Playoff win–loss % |
| Team | Year | G | W | L | W–L% | Finish | PG | PW | PL | PW–L% | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas | 1967–68 | 78 | 46 | 32 | .590 | 2nd in Western | 8 | 4 | 4 | .500 | Lost in Division Finals |
| Dallas | 1968–69 | 78 | 41 | 37 | .526 | 4th in Western | 7 | 3 | 4 | .429 | Lost in Division Semifinals |
| Dallas | 1969–70 | 43 | 22 | 21 | .512 | (resigned) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Career[14] | 199 | 109 | 90 | .548 | 15 | 7 | 8 | .467 | |||
References
- "Cliff Hagan Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more". Basketball-Reference.com.
- "The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame :: Cliff Hagan". hoophall.com.
- Kleber, J.E. (February 9, 1992). The Kentucky Encyclopedia. University Press of Kentucky. p. 397. ISBN 978-0-8131-2883-2. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
- "Cliff Hagan College Stats". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com.
- "Bill Russell — He could easily have been ours". Brooklyn Eagle. August 8, 2022.
- "Game-Winning Buzzer-Beaters".
- "History of Celtics vs. Hawks in NBA playoffs is full of memorable moments". RSN. April 13, 2023.
- "Alumni". University of Kentucky Alumni Association. Retrieved October 16, 2026.
- "TimesMachine: Wednesday November 16, 1988 - NYTimes.com". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 16, 2026.
- Arnold, Joe (June 6, 2018). "Remembering C.M. Newton". Kentucky Living. Retrieved October 16, 2026.
- "Kentucky baseball's stadium was more than a ballpark: 'It's the people'". The Courier-Journal.
- Russell, Joseph (August 31, 2021). "Hagan fashioned prolific career". Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer.
- Hogsten, Carlee (October 16, 2026). "Kentucky basketball legend, Hall of Famer Cliff Hagan dies at 94". LEX 18 News. Retrieved October 16, 2026.
- "Cliff Hagan Coaching Record". Basketball Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
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Cliff Hagan — Kentucky Basketball Legend and NBA Hall of Famer
Cliff Hagan (Clifford Oldham Hagan, December 9, 1931 – October 15, 2026) was an American professional basketball player, coach, and athletics administrator celebrated for his achievements at every level of the sport .
Early Life and College Career
Born in Owensboro, Kentucky, Hagan attended Owensboro High School and then played for the University of Kentucky under legendary coach Adolph Rupp . He helped lead the Wildcats to the 1951 NCAA championship and was a two-time consensus First Team All-American (1952, 1954) . In 1954, he set a Kentucky single-game scoring record of 51 points, unmatched until 1970 .
NBA Career
Drafted in the third round of the 1953 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics, Hagan was traded to the St. Louis Hawks in 1956 along with Ed Macauley for the draft rights to Bill Russell — one of the most famous trades in NBA history . He spent his entire 10-year NBA career with the Hawks, earning five NBA All-Star selections and two All-NBA Second Team honors .
Hagan was a key figure in the 1958 NBA championship team, averaging 27.7 points in the playoffs during that run . His career NBA stats: 14,780 points, 5,555 rebounds, 2,646 assists over 839 games .
ABA and Coaching
After retiring from the NBA in 1966, Hagan returned to pro basketball as a player-coach for the Dallas Chaparrals in the ABA’s inaugural 1967–68 season, earning another All-Star nod .
Later Career and Legacy
Hagan later served as University of Kentucky Athletics Director from 1975 to 1989 . He was the first Kentucky player inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978 . He also founded the Cliff Hagan Boys & Girls Club in Owensboro .
Death and Honors
Cliff Hagan died on October 15, 2026, at age 94 . He is remembered as a champion at every level — high school, NCAA, NBA, and ABA — and as a lasting figure in Kentucky and Hawks basketball history .
In summary: Cliff Hagan was a Hall of Fame forward, NCAA and NBA champion, ABA player-coach, and Kentucky athletics leader whose career spanned championships, records, and community service.
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Cliff Hagan, Master of the Hook Shot, Dies at 94 - The New York Times
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