Alexander Murray Hannum (July 19, 1923 — January 18, 2002) was a professional Basketball player and Hall-of-Fame coach.
Coaching career[]
Hannum is mostly known for coaching the Wilt Chamberlain-led Philadelphia 76ers of 1966-67 to the NBA championship, ending the eight-year title streak of the Boston Celtics. He had also coached the Bob Pettit-led St. Louis Hawks team to the 1958 NBA Championship over the Celtics in the NBA Finals, thus making him the first of only three head coaches in NBA history to win championships with two different teams (the other two are Phil Jackson and Pat Riley). The aforementioned seasons were the only two in Bill Russell's 13-year career in which the Celtics' center did not win an NBA championship. In 1964, Hannum was named NBA Coach of the Year while with the San Francisco Warriors.
In 1968 Hannum was named head coach and executive vice president of the Oakland Oaks of the American Basketball Association. In Hannum coached the Rick Barry-led Oaks to the 1969 ABA Championship, becoming the first of two coaches to win championships in both the NBA and ABA. Hannum won the ABA Coach of the Year honors the same season.
Hannum on April 8, 1971 left his position as head coach coach of the San Diego Rockets of the NBA to become President, General Manager and head coach of the ABA's Denver Rockets. In his first season the Rockets lost their opening playoff match to the Texas Chaparrals. On June 13, 1972 Hannum bought control of the Rockets with A.G. "Bud" Fischer and Frank M. Goldberg. In the 1972-73 season Hannum coached the Rockets to the 1973 ABA Playoffs but they lost in the first round of the Western Division playoffs to the Indiana Pacers, 4 games to 1. Hannum returned the Rockets to the 1974 ABA Playoffs where they lost in their opening match to the San Diego Conquistadors. On April 30, 1974 Hannum was dismissed as president, general manager and head coach of the Rockets.
Hannum was inducted into the Basketball in 1998. Twelve Hall-of-Famers played for Hannum — in addition to Pettit, Chamberlain and Barry, he had also coached Cliff Hagan, Ed Macauley, Slater Martin, Dolph Schayes, Nate Thurmond, Billy Cunningham, Hal Greer, Elvin Hayes and Calvin Murphy. Hannum, a native of Los Angeles, California, and graduate of the University of Southern California, died at the age of 78 in San Diego, California.
Playing career[]
Hannum played in the NBA between 1949 and 1957.
College career[]
Hannum played at USC.
High school career[]
Hannum prepped at Hamilton High School in Los Angeles.
Trivia[]
- Hannum is one of only two NBA players to receive more than six personal fouls in a single game (Don Otten is the other). On December 26, 1950, Hannum received seven personal fouls in a game against the Boston Celtics.
- Coincidentally, the only other coach to win a championship in both the NBA and ABA, Bill Sharman, also coached a Chamberlain-led team — the 1972 Los Angeles Lakers — to an NBA championship. Like Hannum, Sharman was a product of the University of Southern Cal, and both served time as head coaches for the San Francisco Warriors. Given their historic accomplishments, the two also shared status as among the most ironic omissions from the NBA's 50th Anniversary list of the "Ten Greatest Coaches of All-Time" (1996).