Cliff Hagan
Basketball · Hometown: Owensboro, KY
- High school
- Owensboro Senior High School
- College
- University of Kentucky
- Pro team(s)
- St. Louis Hawks, Dallas Chaparrals (ABA)
- Hall of Fame
- ⭐ Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Clifford Oldham Hagan was born on December 9, 1931, in Owensboro, Kentucky, and attended Owensboro Senior High School before becoming one of the greatest players in the history of the University of Kentucky under coach Adolph Rupp. His career illustrates one of the stranger transactions in NBA history: St. Louis Hawks general manager Ben Kerner traded the rights to Bill Russell to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Hagan and Ed Macauley. The Celtics used Russell to build a dynasty; Hagan used the platform in St. Louis to build an All-Star career of his own, winning the NBA championship with the Hawks in 1958 against those same Celtics. Hagan was celebrated for his virtually unstoppable right-handed hook shot, which he could execute from nearly any angle on the court and which no defender of his era found a reliable counter for. He was a five-time NBA All-Star and led the Hawks to the NBA Finals four times. After his NBA career he played in the ABA with the Dallas Chaparrals. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1977. Born and raised in Owensboro, Kentucky.