Cliff Hagan
A Kentucky-born forward with a deadly hook shot, he became the heart of the St. Louis Hawks and a champion who bridged basketball eras.
Born 1931 (age 95)·American basketball player and coach·Birthday: December 9·The Silent Generation
Biography
Cliff Hagan’s basketball story is woven into the fabric of the sport’s mid-century rise. At the University of Kentucky under Adolph Rupp, he was part of the legendary ‘Fiddlin’ Five’ that won the 1951 NCAA title, though his college career was interrupted by military service. When he finally reached the NBA with the St. Louis Hawks, his 6-foot-4 frame belied a potent inside game, defined by a sweeping, almost artistic hook shot. Alongside Bob Pettit, Hagan formed a devastating one-two punch, leading the Hawks to the 1958 NBA championship over the Boston Celtics, a monumental upset. His career refused to be confined by tradition; after a decade as an NBA All-Star, he jumped to the new American Basketball Association, serving as a player-coach for the Dallas Chaparrals and making an All-Star team there, too. Hagan’s legacy is that of a versatile winner, a player whose skill and competitive fire made him essential to a title team and a pioneering figure in two leagues.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Cliff was born in 1931, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Cliff Was Born
The biggest hits of 1931
#1 Movie
Frankenstein
Best Picture
Cimarron
Cliff's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1931Born
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1936Started school
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1944Became a teenager
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1947Could drive
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1949Could vote
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Turned 21
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1961Turned 30
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1971Turned 40
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1981Turned 50
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 60
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 70
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 80
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2026Age 95 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the 1958 NBA Championship as a key player for the St. Louis Hawks.
- Earned five NBA All-Star selections during his tenure with the Hawks.
- Won an NCAA national championship with the Kentucky Wildcats in 1951.
- Became an ABA All-Star and served as a player-coach for the Dallas Chaparrals.
Did You Know?
His nickname was 'Li’l Abner', after the muscular comic strip character.
He played his entire 10-year NBA career for one franchise, the St. Louis Hawks.
His jersey number (6) is retired by the Dallas Mavericks, honoring his time with the Chaparrals.
He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978.
“I perfected the hook shot because it couldn't be blocked.”
