Cliff Hagan, a basketball standout whose skilled hook shot helped define his era and who contributed to the St. Louis Hawks’ only NBA championship, died on October 15 at the age of 94. The University of Kentucky announced his passing, recognizing his role on the 1951 NCAA championship team and the unbeaten 1953-54 Wildcats squad.

A 6-foot-4 forward, Hagan was regarded as a prototype for the modern small forward, known particularly for his distinctive running hook shot, which he could execute with either hand from distances up to 18 feet. He developed the shot as a way to compete against taller players during his early years.

Hagan played 10 seasons with the Hawks, then based in St. Louis, forming a formidable scoring partnership with power forward Bob Pettit. The Hawks’ 1958 NBA championship remains the only league title in the franchise’s history, with Hagan averaging 27.7 points per game during the playoffs and helping the team defeat the Boston Celtics in a six-game final.

His career was also notable for a major transaction involving Bill Russell. The Celtics’ head coach Red Auerbach saw Russell’s defensive skills as the missing piece for Boston’s championship aspirations. After the Rochester Royals selected guard Si Green with the first overall pick in the 1956 draft, the Hawks, holding the second pick, took Russell but promptly traded him to Boston in exchange for Ed Macaulay and Hagan.

Born on December 9, 1931, in Owensboro, Kentucky, Hagan was a key player for coach Adolph Rupp at the University of Kentucky, where he earned consensus All-American honors and averaged more than 20 points per game during his final two collegiate seasons. His college career was interrupted by military service in the Air Force, where he continued to play basketball before entering the NBA.

Hagan started his professional career primarily as a guard but transitioned to forward, anchoring a Hawks team that included Hall of Famers like Pettit and guard Slater Martin. After the 1965-66 NBA season, he briefly retired to work as a broadcaster before returning as a player-coach for the Dallas Chaparrals in the American Basketball Association, where he again earned All-Star recognition.

Over his NBA career, Hagan scored 13,447 points, averaging 18 points per game. He later served as Kentucky’s athletic director from 1975 until 1988, resigning amid an NCAA investigation into basketball program violations.

Hagan married Martha Milton in 1954, and together they had four children. Widely respected for his contributions on and off the court, he reflected in 2011 on the decline of the hook shot in modern basketball, attributing it to the game’s increased athleticism and players’ diminished patience for mastering such finesse moves.

Cliff Hagan’s legacy endures through his impact on the Hawks’ championship history, his pioneering playing style, and his significant role in collegiate and professional basketball.