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Cliff Hagan, NBA Champion and Hall of Fame Forward, Dies at Age 94
The five-time NBA All-Star won the NBA championship with the St. Louis Hawks in 1958.
From NBA.com News Services | October 16, 2026, 10:27 PM
Remembering Cliff Hagan (1931–2026)
Hall of Famer Cliff Hagan died on Thursday at the age of 94. The former St. Louis Hawk was a five-time All-Star.
The league issued the following statement after the passing of Cliff Hagan:
The NBA is deeply saddened by the passing of Naismith Hall of Famer Cliff Hagan, a five-time All-Star who spent his entire 10-year NBA career with the St. Louis Hawks. Cliff played a key role in St. Louis' 1958 NBA championship. He also won an NCAA championship at Kentucky and later served as a player-coach in the ABA. We extend our heartfelt condolences to Cliff's loved ones and the entire Hawks organization.
Following a successful career at the University of Kentucky, Hagan entered the NBA in 1956 and played 10 years for the St. Louis Hawks. He earned five All-Star and two All-NBA selections during his stint with the Hawks and helped lead them to the 1958 NBA championship. After retiring from the NBA in 1966, he went on to serve as a television and radio commentator for the Hawks.
Hagan re-entered professional basketball as a player-coach for the Dallas Chaparrals in the ABA's inaugural 1967–68 season and earned another All-Star selection. He officially retired from his playing career at the beginning of the 1969–70 season and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame nearly a decade later, in 1978.
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