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| draft_year = 1953
| draft_year = 1953
| draft_round = 3
| draft_round = 3
| draft_pick = 21
| draft_pick = 22
| draft_team = [[Boston Celtics]]
| draft_team = [[Boston Celtics]]
| career_start = 1956
| career_start = 1956
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'''Clifford Oldham Hagan''' (born December 9, 1931) is an American former professional [[basketball]] player. A 6-4 forward who excelled with the [[hook shot]], Hagan, [[nickname]]d "Li'l Abner", played his entire 10-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).<ref name="Kleber p. 397">{{cite book |last=Kleber |first=J.E. |title=The Kentucky Encyclopedia |publisher=University Press of Kentucky |isbn=978-0-8131-2883-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8eFSK4o--M0C&pg=PA397 |access-date=1 July 2021 |page=397}}</ref> Hagan is 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 he won an NBA championship with the Hawks in 1958.
'''Clifford Oldham Hagan''' (born December 9, 1931)<ref name="auto"/> is an American former professional [[basketball]] player. A 6′ 4″ forward<ref name="auto"/> who excelled with the [[hook shot]],<ref name="auto1"/> Hagan, [[nickname]]d "Li’l Abner",<ref name="auto"/> played his entire 10-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).<ref name="Kleber p. 397">{{cite book |last=Kleber |first=J.E. |title=The Kentucky Encyclopedia |date=February 9, 1992 |publisher=University Press of Kentucky |isbn=978-0-8131-2883-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8eFSK4o--M0C&pg=PA397 |access-date=1 July 2021 |page=397}}</ref> Hagan is 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 he won an NBA championship with the Hawks in 1958.


== College and military career ==
== College and military career ==
=== University of Kentucky ===
=== University of Kentucky ===
Hagan played college basketball at the [[University of Kentucky]] under legendary coach [[Adolph Rupp]]. As a sophomore in 1951, he helped Kentucky win the [[1951 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA championship]] with a 68–58 victory over [[Kansas State Wildcats men's basketball|Kansas State]].
Hagan played college basketball at the [[University of Kentucky]] under legendary coach [[Adolph Rupp]].<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/cliff-hagan/|title=The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame :: Cliff Hagan|website=www.hoophall.com}}</ref> As a sophomore in 1951, he helped Kentucky win the [[1951 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA championship]] with a 68–58 victory over [[Kansas State Wildcats men's basketball|Kansas State]].


[[File:Cliff Hagan UK.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Hagan as a senior at UK.]]
[[File:Cliff Hagan UK.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Hagan as a senior at UK.]]
In the fall of 1952, a [[CCNY point shaving scandal|point shaving scandal]] involving three Kentucky players forced Kentucky to forfeit Hagan's senior season. The suspension of the season made Kentucky's basketball team, in effect, the first college sports team to get the "[[Death penalty (NCAA)|death penalty]]", where the NCAA asked member schools not to schedule games with Kentucky, but did not require them to refrain from doing so.
In the fall of 1952, a [[CCNY point shaving scandal|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 [[1953 NBA draft|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 [[1954 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|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,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/cliff-hagan-1.html|title=Cliff Hagan College Stats|website=College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com}}</ref> 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.
Haganl graduated from Kentucky in 1953 and, as a result, became eligible for the [[1953 NBA draft|NBA draft]]. He was selected in the third round by the [[Boston Celtics]], but returned to play at Kentucky for the 1953-1954 season despite having graduated. In Kentucky's opening game that season--an 86–59 victory over [[Temple Owls men's basketball|Temple]] 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 [[1954 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|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, 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]]. Hagan still holds the record for rebounding average (min. 60 games) with 13.4 for his 77 total games from 1951–1952 and 1954. His uniform number 6 was retired by the University of Kentucky.


=== U.S. Air Force ===
=== U.S. Air Force ===
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== Professional career ==
== Professional career ==
=== National Basketball Association ===
=== 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]]. In 1958, his second season in the NBA, the Hawks, led by Hagan and [[Bob Pettit]], won the NBA championship (one of the four Western Conference titles the Hawks won during his tenure with them), defeating the Boston Celtics 4 games to 2 in the [[NBA Finals]]. Hagan was named to play in five consecutive [[NBA All-Star game|NBA All-Star Games]] from 1958 to 1962 (an injury forced him to miss the 1958 classic). In his 10 NBA seasons, Hagan played 745 games and scored 13,447 points for an 18.0 average. Hagan achieved renown and respect well after his career ended, when [[David Halberstam]] wrote in his classic book ''The Breaks of the Game'' 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.
After his military service, Hagan and [[Ed Macauley]] were traded to the St. Louis Hawks for the draft rights to [[Bill Russell]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://brooklyneagle.com/articles/2022/08/08/bill-russell-he-could-easily-have-been-ours/|title=Bill Russell He could easily have been ours|date=August 8, 2022|website=Brooklyn Eagle}}</ref> In 1958, the Hawks won the NBA championship, defeating the Boston Celtics 4–2 in the [[NBA Finals]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/history-celtics-vs-hawks-nba-playoffs-full-memorable-moments|title=History of Celtics vs. Hawks in NBA playoffs is full of memorable moments|website=RSN|date=April 13, 2023 }}</ref> The Hawks won four Western Conference titles during Hagan's tenure with them.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}} Hagan was named to five consecutive [[NBA All-Star game|NBA All-Star Games]] from 1958 to 1962.<ref name="auto"/>


In ''The Breaks of the Game'',{{Full citation needed |date=June 2024}} [[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.
=== American Basketball Association ===
In 1967, the Dallas Chaparrals of the newly formed ABA hired Hagan as a [[player-coach]]. He scored 40 points in his team's first game. He also played in the very [[1968 ABA All-Star Game|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 1969–1970 season and remained as Chaparral coach until midway into the season. Hagan played in 94 ABA games and scored 1,423 points for a 15.1 average.


Hagan played 745 games over 10 NBA seasons. He scored 13,447 points for an 18.0 points per game average.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/hagancl01.html|title=Cliff Hagan Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more|website=Basketball-Reference.com}}</ref>
Hagan was inducted into the [[Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame]] in 1978, the first ex-University of Kentucky player to be so honored.


=== American Basketball Association (ABA) ===
== Return to Kentucky ==
In 1967, the Dallas Chaparrals of the newly formed ABA hired Hagan as a [[player-coach]]. He scored 40 points in his team's first game. He also played in the [[1968 ABA All-Star Game|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.<ref name="auto"/>

=== University of Kentucky ===
{{Unreferenced section |date=June 2024}}
In 1972, Hagan returned to the University of Kentucky as the school's assistant [[athletic director]] and took over the top job in 1975. He was forced to resign due to recruiting and eligibility violations in November 1988 and was replaced by one-time Kentucky teammate [[C. M. Newton]], the head basketball coach at [[Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketball|Vanderbilt University]] the year before.
In 1972, Hagan returned to the University of Kentucky as the school's assistant [[athletic director]] and took over the top job in 1975. He was forced to resign due to recruiting and eligibility violations in November 1988 and was replaced by one-time Kentucky teammate [[C. M. Newton]], the head basketball coach at [[Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketball|Vanderbilt University]] the year before.


=== Legacy ===
In 1993, the University of Kentucky renamed [[Cliff Hagan Stadium|its baseball field]] in honor of Hagan. It had previously been known as the [[Bernie A. Shively]] Sports Center.
Hagan was inducted into the [[Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame]] in 1978.<ref name="auto1"/> He is the first former University of Kentucky player to be so honored.

In 1993, the University of Kentucky renamed [[Cliff Hagan Stadium|its baseball field]] in honor of Hagan.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/college/kentucky/2018/05/14/kentucky-baseball-cliff-hagan-stadium-nick-mingione-keith-madison/606129002/|title=Kentucky baseball's stadium was more than a ballpark: 'It's the people'|website=The Courier-Journal}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Hagan married his wife, Martha, on September 4, 1954.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.messenger-inquirer.com/sports/local/hagan-fashioned-prolific-career/article_be676d97-c257-5ab4-941f-3ceabaf273f3.html|title=Hagan fashioned prolific career|first=Joseph |last=Russell|date=August 31, 2021|website=Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer}}</ref>


== NBA/ABA career statistics ==
== NBA/ABA career statistics ==
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[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:National Basketball Association All-Stars]]
[[Category:NBA All-Stars]]
[[Category:National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Player-coaches]]
[[Category:Basketball player-coaches]]
[[Category:Small forwards]]
[[Category:Small forwards]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Owensboro, Kentucky]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Owensboro, Kentucky]]

Latest revision as of 01:52, 17 June 2024

Cliff Hagan
Personal information
Born (1931-12-09) December 9, 1931 (age 92)
Owensboro, Kentucky, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High schoolOwensboro (Owensboro, Kentucky)
CollegeKentucky (1950–1954)
NBA draft1953: 3rd round, 22nd overall pick
Selected by the Boston Celtics
Playing career1956–1969
PositionSmall forward
Number6, 17, 16
Career history
As player:
19561966St. Louis Hawks
19671969Dallas Chaparrals
As coach:
1967–1970Dallas Chaparrals
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA and ABA statistics
Points14,780 (17.7 ppg)
Rebounds5,555 (6.6 rpg)
Assists2,646 (3.2 apg)
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference
Basketball Hall of Fame
Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame

Clifford Oldham Hagan (born December 9, 1931)[1] is an American former professional basketball player. A 6′ 4″ forward[1] who excelled with the hook shot,[2] Hagan, nicknamed "Li’l Abner",[1] played his entire 10-year 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 is 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 he won an NBA championship with the Hawks in 1958.

College and military career

[edit]

University of Kentucky

[edit]

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.

Hagan as a senior at UK.

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

National Basketball Association (NBA)

[edit]

After his military service, Hagan and Ed Macauley were traded to the St. Louis Hawks for the draft rights to Bill Russell.[5] In 1958, the Hawks won the NBA championship, defeating the Boston Celtics 4–2 in the NBA Finals.[6] 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)

[edit]

In 1967, the Dallas Chaparrals of the newly formed ABA hired Hagan as a player-coach. 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

[edit]

In 1972, Hagan returned to the University of Kentucky as the school's assistant athletic director and took over the top job in 1975. He was forced to resign due to recruiting and eligibility violations in November 1988 and was replaced by one-time Kentucky teammate C. M. Newton, the head basketball coach at Vanderbilt University the year before.

Legacy

[edit]

Hagan was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978.[2] He is 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.[7]

Personal life

[edit]

Hagan married his wife, Martha, on September 4, 1954.[8]

NBA/ABA career statistics

[edit]
Legend
  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

Regular season

[edit]
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

[edit]
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

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f "Cliff Hagan Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more". Basketball-Reference.com.
  2. ^ a b c "The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame :: Cliff Hagan". www.hoophall.com.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ "Cliff Hagan College Stats". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com.
  5. ^ "Bill Russell — He could easily have been ours". Brooklyn Eagle. August 8, 2022.
  6. ^ "History of Celtics vs. Hawks in NBA playoffs is full of memorable moments". RSN. April 13, 2023.
  7. ^ "Kentucky baseball's stadium was more than a ballpark: 'It's the people'". The Courier-Journal.
  8. ^ Russell, Joseph (August 31, 2021). "Hagan fashioned prolific career". Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer.
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