Cliff Hagan, 1931-2026
One of the great players in the history of the Atlanta Hawks franchise has passed away.
Cliff Hagan, a 5-time all-star and one-time champion with the St. Louis Hawks, passed sway on Oct. 15 at the age of 94.
A native of Owensboro, Kentucky, Hagan is a member of the Kentucky Basketball Hall of Fame by virtue of his prolific efforts as a Kentucky Wildcat and of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame for his success in the NBA.
As a Wildcat, Hagan, 6 feet, 4 inches tall, was a 1st team All-American as a junior and senior, averaging an NCAA-leading 16.5 rebounds (21.6 points) per game in his junior campaign. He played 77 games at Kentucky and averaged 19.2 points and 13.4 rebounds.
Hagan was a third-round selection in 1953 by the Boston Celtics, but served in the United States Air Force from 1954-55. In 1956, he and Ed Macauley were traded to the Hawks for the draft rights to Bill Russell. From the 1957-58 season through to 1961-62, Hagan was an NBA All-Star.
Cliff Hagan’s All-Star Seasons
1957-58: 19.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, 44.3% FG, 70 games, 31.3 minutes per game, 2nd team All-NBA
1958-59: 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, 45.6% FG, 72 games, 37.5 minutes per game, 2nd team All-NBA
1959-60: 24.8 points, 10.7 rebounds, 46.4% FG, 75 games, 37.3 minutes per game
1960-61: 22.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 44.4% FG, 77 games, 35.1 minutes per game
1961-62: 22.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, 47.0% FG, 77 games, 36.2 minutes per game
Hagan played four more years in St. Louis, topping out at 18.4 points per game (44.7% shooting) in just 29.6 minutes per game in 1963-64. From 1967-70, he played for the Dallas Chaparrals in the ABA and was named an all-star in 1967-68, when he averaged 18.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.9 assists in 31.0 minutes per game in 56 games. He retired from professional basketball after the 1969-70 season, with career averages across both leagues of 17.7 points on 45.4% shooting and 6.6 rebounds in 28.7 minutes per game in 839 games. He played 29.2 minutes per game over 745 NBA games with the Hawks, registering averages of 18.0 points and 6.9 rebounds with a field-goal percentage of 45.0%. He was a top-10 MVP finisher in 1958-59 (9th) and 1967-68 (9th).
Over his NBA and ABA playoff career, Hagan registered 31 double-doubles. In the Hawks’ six-game win in the 1958 Finals over the Celtics, he tallied games of 33 points and 8 rebounds (Game 1), 37 points and 12 rebounds (Game 2), 27 points and 15 rebounds (Game 4), and 21 points and 13 rebounds (Game 5). In the previous round, in Game 1 of the Western Division Finals against the Detroit Pistons, Hagan posted 38 points and 17 rebounds. He twice scored 40 points in his playoff career - 40 points on 16-of-22 shooting on March 21, 1959 against the Minneapolis Lakers, and 40 and 17 rebounds with 6 assists on 16-of-28 shooting in Game 2 of the 1961 Finals against the Celtics.
Hagan was one-third of a formidable front court in St. Louis alongside Bob Pettit and Clyde Lovellette dubbed “The Untouchables”. He was also one of the originators of the hook shot, with a sweeping hook in his arsenal that he could make with his left or right hand.
He was the last living member of the Hawks’ 1958 championship team. RIP, Cliff Hagan.
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