39 Facts About Alex Hannum

Alexander Murray Hannum was an American professional basketball player and coach.

Alexander Murray Hannum was born on July 19,1923, in Los Angeles, California.

Alex Hannum attended Hamilton High School, where he excelled in basketball.

Alex Hannum played basketball at USC in 1942 and 1943, but his time at USC was interrupted when he was called into military service during World War II in 1943.

Alex Hannum played basketball at USC under Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach Sam Barry.

On May 10,1948, Alex Hannum was drafted by the Indianapolis Jets in the 4th round of the 1948 BAA Draft.

Alex Hannum played three seasons of Amateur Athletic Union basketball for the Los Angeles Shamrocks, before signing with the National Basketball League's Oshkosh All-Stars.

Alex Hannum played sparingly for the Syracuse Nationals from 1949 to 1951.

Alex Hannum is one of only three NBA players to receive more than six personal fouls in a single game.

On December 26,1950, Alex Hannum received seven personal fouls in a game against the Boston Celtics.

On July 14,1951, Alex Hannum was traded by the Syracuse Nationals with Fred Scolari to the Baltimore Bullets for Red Rocha.

Alex Hannum signed and played for the Fort Wayne Pistons in 1956, but was released by the team on December 12,1956.

On December 17,1956, Alex Hannum signed as a free agent with the St Louis Hawks.

Alex Hannum played for the St Louis Hawks from 1956 to 1957, his last season as a player.

Alex Hannum was actually the Hawks' third head coach that year.

Alex Hannum was hired as head coach on January 21,1957.

Alex Hannum returned to the NBA in 1960 with the Syracuse Nationals, advancing to the Eastern Finals in his first season and losing in the first round two years in a row.

Alex Hannum had expressed interest in coaching the San Francisco Warriors when the team had moved to the region from Philadelphia in 1962.

Eddie Gottlieb, the operator of the team before selling to Franklin Mieuli, had stated that Alex Hannum was his third choice in mind next to Frank McGuire and Bob Feerick.

Alex Hannum was named NBA Coach of the Year after the season ended.

In 1966, Alex Hannum was named the head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers.

Alex Hannum succeeded Dolph Schayes, who had been named coach after the move from Central New York but was fired despite winning NBA Coach of the Year because of his strained relationship with Chamberlain.

Alex Hannum placed emphasis on changing the offense to rely on scoring in movement, while slowing the game down and playing half court.

Alex Hannum wanted Chamberlain to facilitate the other players on offense instead of being the central scorer.

Alex Hannum had convinced Chamberlain that focusing more on defense and passing would bring the team greater success.

Under Alex Hannum the following season he averaged 8.6 assists per game, with the most total assists.

Alex Hannum led the Sixers towards the 63rd victory, breaking the NBA-record for most wins in a single season, in an OT win over the Boston Celtics.

Alex Hannum then coached the Wilt Chamberlain-led Philadelphia 76ers to the NBA championship, ending the eight-year title streak of the Boston Celtics.

Alex Hannum left the team after the season to coach the Oakland Oaks in the newly created American Basketball Association.

On May 3,1968, Hannum signed a deal to become the head coach and executive vice president of the Oakland Oaks of the American Basketball Association, as owned by singer Pat Boone along with S Kenneth Davidson and Dennis A Murphy.

Alex Hannum took the offer over coaching the Warriors because of the offer of an ownership stake and a "special relish to competing against Mieuli", who he called a promoter of himself first.

Alex Hannum won the ABA Coach of the Year honors the same season.

Alex Hannum left after the season ended as the Oaks relocated to become the Washington Caps under new management by Earl Foreman.

The Rockets first coach in Houston, succeeding Alex Hannum, was Tex Winter, Alex Hannum's old USC teammate.

Alex Hannum left his position as head coach of the San Diego Rockets of the NBA to become president, general manager and head coach of the ABA's Denver Rockets on April 8,1971.

On October 26,1972, Alex Hannum engaged in an unusual strategy.

Alex Hannum instructed his players to foul any player of the Virginia Squires that was taking a shot in the fourth quarter.

Alex Hannum returned the Rockets to the 1974 ABA Playoffs where they lost to the San Diego Conquistadors in a one-game tie-breaker playoff.

Alex Hannum was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998.