Contemporary Kentuckians could be forgiven for thinking Cliff Hagan is as much of an historical relic as his old coach Adolph Rupp. After all, like Rupp, Hagan has an arena named after him (University of Kentucky’s baseball stadium) as well as a large Boys & Girls Club (in his hometown of Owensboro). His legacy is secure, but the 74-year-old Hagan is very much alive and well, and more than happy to discuss his own stellar basketball career, which saw him win titles in high school, college and the NBA.
Hagan arrived at UK in 1950 and teamed with fellow Hall of Famer Frank Ramsey to lead the team to a three-year record of 86-5 and the ’51 NCAA title. They went 25-0 his senior year, as the 6-4 forward averaged 24 ppg and 14 rpg. The Celtics drafted the two-time All-American in ’53, but Hagan never played for Boston; he entered the Air Force for two years and was then traded, along with Ed Macauley, to the St. Louis Hawks for the Draft rights to Bill Russell. A five-time NBA All-Star, he played with the Hawks for 10 years, averaging 18 ppg and helping the team win the ’58 title.
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