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{{Short description|American basketball player and coach (1923–2002)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Alex Hannum
| image = Alex Hannum 1947 (cropped).jpg
| width = 
| caption = Hannum, circa 1947
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1923|7|19}}
| birth_place = [[Los Angeles, California]], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2002|1|18|1923|7|19}}
| death_place = [[San Diego, California]], U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 7
| weight_lbs = 210
| high_school = [[Alexander Hamilton High School (Los Angeles)|Alexander Hamilton]]<br />(Los Angeles, California)
| college = [[USC Trojans men's basketball|USC]] (1942–1943; 1946–1948)
| draft_year = 1948
| draft_round = –
| draft_pick = –
| draft_team = [[Indianapolis Jets]]
| career_start = 1948
| career_end = 1957
| career_position = [[Power forward (basketball)|Power forward]] / [[Center (basketball)|center]]
| career_number = 10, 11, 20, 4, 6, 33, 18
| coach_start = 1956
| coach_end = 1974
| years1 = 1948–1949
| team1 = [[Oshkosh All-Stars]]
| years2 = {{nbay|1949|start}}–{{nbay|1950|end}}
| team2 = [[Syracuse Nationals]]
| years3 = {{nbay|1951|full=y}}
| team3 = [[Baltimore Bullets (1944–54)|Baltimore Bullets]]
| years4 = {{nbay|1951|end}}–{{nbay|1953|end}}
| team4 = [[Rochester Royals]]
| years5 = {{nbay|1954|start}}–{{nbay|1955|end}}
| team5 = [[Atlanta Hawks|Milwaukee / St. Louis Hawks]]
| years6 = {{nbay|1956|start}}
| team6 = [[Fort Wayne Pistons]]
| years7 = {{nbay|1956|full=y}}
| team7 = St. Louis Hawks
| cyears1 = {{nbay|1956|start}}–{{nbay|1957|end}}
| cteam1 = St. Louis Hawks
| cyears2 = {{nbay|1960|start}}–{{nbay|1962|end}}
| cteam2 = Syracuse Nationals
| cyears3 = {{nbay|1963|start}}–{{nbay|1965|end}}
| cteam3 = [[San Francisco Warriors]]
| cyears4 = {{nbay|1966|start}}–{{nbay|1967|end}}
| cteam4 = [[Philadelphia 76ers]]
| cyears5 = [[1968–69 ABA season|1968–1969]]
| cteam5 = [[Oakland Oaks (ABA)|Oakland Oaks]]
| cyears6 = {{nbay|1969|start}}–{{nbay|1970|end}}
| cteam6 = [[San Diego Rockets]]
| cyears7 = [[1971–72 ABA season|1971]]–[[1973–74 ABA season|1974]]
| cteam7 = [[Denver Rockets]]
| highlights = 
'''As player:'''
* First-team [[List of All-Pac-12 Conference men's basketball teams|All-PCC]] (1948)
'''As coach:'''
* 2× [[NBA champion]] ([[1958 NBA Finals|1958]], [[1967 NBA Finals|1967]])
* [[NBA Coach of the Year Award|NBA Coach of the Year]] ([[1963–64 NBA season|1964]])
* 2× [[List of NBA All-Star Game head coaches|NBA All-Star Game head coach]] ({{nasg|1958}}, {{nasg|1965}})
* [[ABA champion]]  ([[1969 ABA Playoffs|1969]])
* [[ABA Coach of the Year Award|ABA Coach of the Year]] ([[1968–69 ABA season|1969]])
| stats_league = NBA
| stat1label = [[Point (basketball)|Points]]
| stat1value = 3,078 (6.0 ppg)
| stat2label = [[Rebound (basketball)|Rebound]]
| stat2value = 2,013 (4.5 rpg)
| stat3label = [[Assist (basketball)|Assists]]
| stat3value = 857 (1.7 apg)
| cstats_league1 = ABA & NBA
| cwin1 = 649
| closs1 = 564
| HOF_coach = alex-hannum
}}
'''Alexander Murray Hannum''' (July 19, 1923 – January 18, 2002) was an American professional [[basketball]] player and coach.

As a player, Hannum played for six different teams, most notably with the [[Atlanta Hawks|Milwaukee (later St. Louis) Hawks]], where he played for three seasons. Midway through the 1956–57 season, Hannum was named player-coach of the Hawks with 31 games left in the season; the team reached the [[NBA Finals]] and lost in seven games. Hannum retired as a player after the season ended to focus on coaching.

In the 1957–58 season, the Hawks won 41 games and won the Western Division again on their way to another matchup against the [[Boston Celtics]] in the NBA Finals, where the Hawks won the championship in Game 6 for the championship—the only one in Hawks history. Hannum left the team in the offseason after a dispute with ownership but returned to the NBA to coach the [[History of the Philadelphia 76ers|Syracuse Nationals]] in 1960. He coached the Nationals for three seasons before resigning in 1962.

Hannum joined the newly christened [[Golden State Warriors|San Francisco Warriors]] in 1963 and led the team to the Western Division title in his rookie season. They reached the NBA Finals that year but lost to Boston in a sweep. After two further seasons, Hannum was fired. He coached the [[Philadelphia 76ers]] in 1966 and in his first season, the team won a then-record 68 games to win the Eastern Division and then defeated the Celtics on their way to the NBA Finals, which they won in six games over San Francisco to make Hannum the first NBA coach to win championships with multiple teams. His second season in Philadelphia saw them win 62 games and another division title, but Hannum elected to resign after the team lost in the Division Finals.

Hannum coached the [[Oakland Oaks (ABA)|Oakland Oaks]] in the [[American Basketball Association]] in 1968, where the team won 60 of 78 games on their way to a dominant postseason run where they went 12–4 to win the ABA Finals, thereby making Hannum the first (and so far only) coach to lead three professional basketball teams to league championships. The Oaks relocated to Washington after the season and Hannum resigned to coach the [[History of the Houston Rockets|San Diego Rockets]] in 1969. His two seasons there was the only time he did not reach the postseason with a team. He finished his coaching tenure with the [[Denver Nuggets|Denver Rockets]], coaching from 1971 to 1974 and reaching the postseason twice.

In his career, Hannum had a combined NBA-ABA record of 649–564 (.535) in the regular season and 61–46 (.570) in the playoffs over 16 seasons while being the first of only two coaches to win NBA and ABA championships. In 1998, he was inducted into the [[Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame]] as a coach.

==Early life==
Alexander Murray Hannum was born on July 19, 1923, in [[Los Angeles, California]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=January 18, 2002 |title=NBA, ABA Coach Alex Hannum Dies |url=https://www.mrt.com/news/article/NBA-ABA-Coach-Alex-Hannum-Dies-7720745.php |work=MRT}}</ref> He attended [[Alexander Hamilton High School (Los Angeles)|Hamilton High School]],<ref name=":0" /> where he excelled in [[basketball]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 16, 1942 |title=Bankers Upset Favored Sheiks |url=https://hamihighalumni.org/wp-content/uploads/federalist/1942/1942.01.16%20Hamilton%20High%20School%20Federalist.pdf |work=The Federalist, Alexander Hamilton High School |pages=3}}</ref><ref name=":3" />

==College career==
Hannum attended the [[University of Southern California]] (USC).<ref name=":0" /> He 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.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Dominguez |first=Fernando |date=2002-01-20 |title=Alex Hannum, 78; Took 2 NBA Teams to Titles |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-jan-20-me-hannum20-story.html |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> After three years in the military, he returned to USC for the 1946–47 and 1947–48 school years. During his senior year, he was captain of the [[Southern California Trojans men's basketball|1948 team]], and was an All-Conference selection.<ref name=":3" />

He played basketball at USC under Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach [[Sam Barry]].<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame :: Sam Barry |url=https://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/sam-barry/ |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=www.hoophall.com |language=en}}</ref> In addition to Hannum, Barry coached two other future Hall of fame coaches in college, [[Tex Winter]] and [[Bill Sharman]].<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame :: Tex Winter |url=https://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/tex-winter/ |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=www.hoophall.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame :: Bill Sharman |url=https://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/bill-sharman1/ |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=www.hoophall.com |language=en}}</ref> Sharman was Hannum's teammate from 1946 to 1948 at USC.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bill Sharman College Stats |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/bill-sharman-1.html |access-date=2025-01-04 |website=College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> They both played with Winter during the 1946-47 USC season.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Goldstein |first=Richard |date=2018-10-11 |title=Tex Winter, Brain Behind Basketball's Triangle Offense, Dies at 96 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/10/obituaries/tex-winter-dead.html |access-date=2025-01-04 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

==Professional career==
On May 10, 1948, Hannum was drafted by the [[Indianapolis Jets]] in the 4th round of the [[1948 BAA Draft]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=1948 BAA Draft |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/BAA_1948.html |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>

===Oshkosh All-Stars (1948–1949)===
Hannum played three seasons of [[Amateur Athletic Union]] (AAU) basketball for the Los Angeles Shamrocks, before signing with the [[National Basketball League (United States)|National Basketball League]]'s (NBL) [[Oshkosh All-Stars]]. He played for Oshkosh during the 1948–49 season, averaging 5.7 points per game during the regular season and playoffs. Oshkosh lost in the NBL finals (which was also the team's final year in existence).<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Alex Hannum NBL Stats |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/nbl/players/h/hannual01n.html |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Oshkosh All-Stars Index |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/nbl/teams/OAS/ |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>

===Syracuse Nationals (1949–1951)===
Hannum played sparingly for the [[Syracuse Nationals]] from 1949 to 1951.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=Alex Hannum Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/hannual01.html |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> Hannum is one of only three NBA players to receive more than six [[Personal foul (basketball)|personal fouls]] in a single game ([[Don Otten]] and [[Cal Bowdler]] are the others).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Villanueva |first=Virgil |date=2022-10-05 |title=The only player in NBA history to commit seven fouls |url=https://www.basketballnetwork.net/old-school/the-only-player-in-nba-history-to-commit-seven-fouls |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Basketball Network - Your daily dose of basketball |language=en}}</ref> On December 26, 1950, Hannum received seven personal fouls in a game against the Boston Celtics.<ref name=encyc>{{cite book | title = The Official NBA Basketball Encyclopedia | publisher = Villard Books | year = 1994 | isbn = 0-679-43293-0 | page = 388}}</ref>

===Baltimore Bullets (1951–1952)===
On July 14, 1951, Hannum was traded by the Syracuse Nationals with [[Fred Scolari]] to the [[Baltimore Bullets (1944–1954)|Baltimore Bullets]] for [[Red Rocha]]. Hannum played in 35 games for the Bullets during the 1951–1952 season. His 27.4 minutes per game and 7.7 points per game were career highs.<ref name=":4" />

===Rochester Royals (1952–1954)===
On January 18, 1952, Hannum's player rights were sold by the Bullets to the [[Rochester Royals]]. Hannum finished the 1951–52 season with the Royals, and played for them through the 1953–54 season.<ref name=":4" />

===Milwaukee / St. Louis Hawks (1954–1956)===
On December 10, 1954, Hannum's player rights were sold by the Rochester Royals to the [[Milwaukee Hawks]]. Hannum played for the Milwaukee / St. Louis Hawks from 1954 to 1956.<ref name=":4" /> The Hawks had moved from Milwaukee to St. Louis after the 1954–55 season.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kinnard |first=Brandon |date=2021-06-25 |title=Forgotten History: The Hawks once called Milwaukee home |url=https://www.nbc26.com/sports/nba/milwaukee-bucks/forgotten-history-the-hawks-once-called-milwaukee-home |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=WGBA NBC 26 in Green Bay |language=en}}</ref>

===Fort Wayne Pistons (1956)===
Hannum signed and played for the [[Fort Wayne Pistons]] in 1956, but was released by the team on December 12, 1956.<ref name=":4" />

===Return to St. Louis Hawks (1956–1957)===
On December 17, 1956, Hannum signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Hawks. Hannum played for the St. Louis Hawks from 1956 to 1957, his last season as a player.<ref name=":4" />

==Coaching career==
===St. Louis Hawks (1956–1958)===
Midway through the 1956–57 season, Hannum was named player-coach of the [[Atlanta Hawks|St. Louis Hawks]]. He was actually the Hawks' third head coach that year. [[Red Holzman]] had been fired on January 7, 1957, in favor of Hannum's teammate, [[Slater Martin]].<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=1956-57 St. Louis Hawks Transactions |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/STL/1957_transactions.html |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> However, Martin did not want to be a coach and a player, and delegated coaching authority to Hannum (his roommate) after one game, and gave up the reins after only eight games.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-01-09 |title=Slater Martin: A David Cutting Down Goliaths, 1950s |url=https://from-way-downtown.com/2022/01/09/slater-martin-a-david-cutting-down-goliaths-1950s/ |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=From Way Downtown |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":5" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Slater Martin, Inductee of the Week |url=https://www.tshof.org/news/slater-martin-inductee-of-the-week#:~:text=When%20St.,35,%20Martin%20retired%20in%201960. |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Texas Sports Hall of Fame |language=en}}</ref> Hannum was hired as head coach on January 21, 1957.<ref name=":5" /> Hannum led the team to a 15–16 record for the rest of the season.<ref name=":10">{{Cite web |title=Alex Hannum: Coaching Record, Awards |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/hannual01c.html |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> Despite a losing overall record, the West was so weak that year (no team finished with a winning record) that the Hawks actually won the division title.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1956-57 NBA Standings |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_1957_standings.html |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> They advanced all the way to the NBA Finals and lost to the [[Boston Celtics]] in seven games, losing by only two points in Game 7, in double overtime.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1957 NBA Finals - Hawks vs. Celtics |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1957-nba-finals-hawks-vs-celtics.html |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=1957 NBA Finals Game 7: Hawks vs Celtics, April 13, 1957 |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/195704130BOS.html |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>

Hannum retired as a player after that season. A year later, led by [[Bob Pettit]] (a hall of famer and member of the [[NBA 75th Anniversary Team]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=NBA 75th Anniversary Team announced |url=https://www.nba.com/news/nba-75th-anniversary-team-announced |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=NBA.com |language=en}}</ref>), [[Cliff Hagan]], and Martin, the Hawks went 41–31 and won another division title before advancing to the Finals to play the [[Boston Celtics]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=1957-58 St. Louis Hawks Roster and Stats |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/STL/1958.html |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> They upset the Celtics by two points in Boston for Game 1.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1958 NBA Finals Game 1: Hawks vs Celtics, March 29, 1958 |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/195803290BOS.html |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> Boston evened the series in Game 2,<ref>{{Cite web |title=1958 NBA Finals Game 2: Hawks vs Celtics, March 30, 1958 |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/195803300BOS.html |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> before going back to St. Louis.

In Game 3, Celtics star [[Bill Russell]] severely sprained his ankle as the Hawks prevailed 111–108.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=10 critical injuries that impacted the NBA Finals |url=https://www.nba.com/news/10-key-injuries-in-nba-finals-history |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=NBA.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=1958 NBA Finals Game 3: Celtics vs Hawks, April 2, 1958 |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/195804020STL.html |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> Boston evened the series in Game 4, but the Hawks won a narrow Game 5 to force a clinching game back home.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1958 NBA Finals Game 4: Celtics vs Hawks, April 5, 1958 |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/195804050STL.html |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=1958 NBA Finals Game 5: Hawks vs Celtics, April 9, 1958 |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/195804090BOS.html |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> Pettit scored 50 points, with 19 of them being among the final 21 scored by the Hawks, who won 110–109.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1958 NBA Finals Game 6: Celtics vs Hawks, April 12, 1958 |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/195804120STL.html |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":6" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Top Moments: After years of letdowns, Bob Pettit has his revenge in 1958 |url=https://www.nba.com/news/history-top-moments-bob-pettit-hawks-1958 |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=NBA.com |language=en}}</ref> Between the 1956–57 season and the 1965–66 season, this was the only NBA championship the Celtics lost.<ref name=":6" /> Coincidentally, the only two seasons in Russell's 13-year career in which the Celtics' center did not win an NBA championship were the direct result of losing to a team coached by Hannum (the 1957–58 Hawks and the 1966–67 [[Philadelphia 76ers]]).<ref name=":9">{{Cite news |last=Eskenazi |first=Gerald |date=January 22, 2002 |title=Alex Hannum, 78, Won Titles As Coach in Two Pro Leagues |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/22/sports/alex-hannum-78-won-titles-as-coach-in-two-pro-leagues.html |work=New York Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=List of NBA champions |url=https://www.nba.com/news/history-nba-champions |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=NBA.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Bill Russell Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/russebi01.html |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>

It currently (as of 2024) is the only NBA Championship for the Hawks<ref>{{Cite web |title=NBA Champions: Summary of Winners |url=https://www.landofbasketball.com/championships/summary_of_winners.htm#google_vignette |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=www.landofbasketball.com}}</ref> and it was also the last game coached by Hannum, who was not retained by owner [[Ben Kerner]], whose interference irked Hannum. When he wanted a two-year deal, Kerner did not budge from wanting a one-year deal. Kerner replaced Hannun with [[Andy Phillip]] for the 1958–59 season (who in turn was replaced by [[Ed Macauley]] early in the season).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-26 |title=Never a Dull Moment with the St. Louis Hawks, 1958 |url=https://from-way-downtown.com/2022/09/26/never-a-dull-moment-with-the-st-louis-hawks-1958/ |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=From Way Downtown |language=en}}</ref>

Hannum coached the [[Vickers Petroleum|Wichita Vickers]] of the AAU [[National Industrial Basketball League]] in the 1958–59 and 1959–60 season.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nasljerseys.com/EBA/Rosters/NIBL/VickersOilers_NIBL_Rosters.htm#1957|title = Wichita Vickers Oilers Rosters}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nasljerseys.com/EBA/Rosters/NIBL/VickersOilers_NIBL_Rosters.htm#1956|title = Wichita Vickers Oilers Rosters}}</ref>

===Syracuse Nationals (1960–1963)===
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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Philadelphia 76ers Historical Statistics and All-Time Top Leaders |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/PHI/ |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> He then left the team after the 1962–1963 season, the final one played in Syracuse prior to the relocation of the team to Philadelphia, which would be coached by [[Dolph Schayes]], who was a future hall of fame player under Hannum for the Nationals.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Philly Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Dolph Schayes |url=https://phillyjewishsports.org/2014/03/dolph-schayes/ |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=phillyjewishsports.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Dolph Schayes Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/schaydo01.html |access-date=2025-01-04 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame :: Dolph Schayes |url=https://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/dolph-schayes/ |access-date=2025-01-04 |website=www.hoophall.com |language=en}}</ref>

===San Francisco Warriors (1963–1966)===
[[File:Alex Hannum 1963.jpg|thumb|140px|left|Hannum, circa 1963]]
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]] (prior to departing fully in 1964), had stated that Hannum was his third choice in mind next to [[Frank McGuire]] (who had coached the team the previous season in Philadelphia) and [[Bob Feerick]]. McGuire elected to resign rather than move to the West Coast and Feerick went 31–49 in the 1962–63 season before being fired. As such, Hannum was hired to coach the team for the 1963–1964 season.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=Eschenbach |first=Julian |date=2023-12-17 |title="I took the job, coached Wilt, and went to the finals" - How Alex Hannum made the 1960s Warriors go from non-playoffs to title contenders |url=https://www.basketballnetwork.net/old-school/how-alex-hannum-made-the-1960s-warriors-go-from-non-playoffs-to-title-contenders |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=Basketball Network - Your daily dose of basketball |language=en}}</ref>

That year, the Warriors, bolstered by rookie [[Nate Thurmond]] to go with [[Wilt Chamberlain]], went 48–32 and advanced all the way to the NBA Finals, losing to the [[Boston Celtics]]. Hannum was named NBA Coach of the Year after the season ended.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NBA Awards - Coach of the Year - National Basketball Association - ESPN |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/history/awards/_/id/34 |access-date=2025-01-04 |website=ESPN.com}}</ref> The following year was a disaster, as the Warriors won just 17 games while trading Chamberlain to the [[Philadelphia 76ers]] at the All-Star break. Despite the arrival of draft pick [[Rick Barry]] in 1965, the Warriors went 35–45 and missed the playoffs by one game. Hannum was fired after the season ended.<ref name=":7" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Deford |first=Frank |title=The waiting made it sweeter |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1967/05/08/the-waiting-made-it-sweeter |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=Sports Illustrated Vault {{!}} SI.com |language=en-us}}</ref>

===Philadelphia 76ers (1966–1968)===
In 1966, Hannum was named the head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers. That team had moved from Syracuse three years earlier. He 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. Hannum, now with a team that had players who had played under him in Syracuse such as [[Hal Greer]] and [[Chet Walker]], and Chamberlain who he coached with the Warriors, were receptive to Hannum when he addressed the team's strengths and weaknesses. Hannum placed emphasis on changing the offense to rely on scoring in movement, while slowing the game down and playing half court. He wanted Chamberlain to facilitate the other players on offense instead of being the central scorer. This would see the reigning MVP Wilt Chamberlain score a career-low 24.1 points per game but also shoot 68.3% on his field goal attempts.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Holmes |first=C. J. |title=A banner season: Wilt Chamberlain, 1967 Sixers ended the NBA's greatest dynasty |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/2942475/2021/11/12/finally-a-banner-season-in-philly-when-wilt-chamberlains-76ers-paused-the-nbas-greatest-dynasty/ |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=The Athletic |language=en}}</ref>

Hannum had convinced Chamberlain that focusing more on defense and passing would bring the team greater success. Chamberlain was third in the league with 7.8 assists per game (behind only hall of fame point guards [[Guy Rodgers]] and [[Oscar Robertson]]), and it was the first year he averaged less than 33 points per game.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":9" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Season Leaders {{!}} Stats {{!}} NBA.com |url=https://www.nba.com/stats/leaders?Season=1966-67&SeasonType=Regular+Season&StatCategory=AST |access-date=2025-01-04 |website=www.nba.com}}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite web |title=The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame :: Guy Rodgers |url=https://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/guy-rodgers/ |access-date=2025-01-04 |website=www.hoophall.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame :: Oscar Robertson |url=https://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/oscar-robertson/ |access-date=2025-01-04 |website=www.hoophall.com |language=en}}</ref> Under Hannum the following season he averaged 8.6 assists per game (second behind Robertson), with the most total assists.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web |title=Wilt Chamberlain Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/chambwi01.html |access-date=2025-01-04 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Season Leaders {{!}} Stats {{!}} NBA.com |url=https://www.nba.com/stats/leaders?Season=1967-68&SeasonType=Regular+Season&StatCategory=AST |access-date=2025-01-04 |website=www.nba.com}}</ref>

During his first season as coach, the 76ers had a record setting season as they started 46–4,<ref name="nba10">nba.com/history, [http://www.nba.com/history/toptenteams_index.html Top 10 Teams in NBA History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502092015/http://www.nba.com/history/toptenteams_index.html |date=May 2, 2013 }}, accessed January 16, 2007</ref> en route to a record of 68–13, the best record in league history at the time.<ref name="sachare">{{cite web |last=Sachare |first=Alex |title=NBA Encyclopedia Playoff Edition: The Best Team Ever |website=[[NBA.com]] |url=http://www.nba.com/encyclopedia/sixers_66-67.html |year=2008}}</ref> After a 129–103 win over the Pistons on March 3, 1967, he joined Red Auerbach as the only coaches to have won 60 games in a season at that period.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/196703030DET.html|title=Philadelphia 76ers vs Detroit Pistons Box Score, March 3, 1967|publisher=Basketball-Reference|access-date=December 21, 2019}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/196703080BOS.html|title=Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics Box Score, March 8, 1967|publisher=Basketball-Reference|access-date=February 28, 2020}}</ref> On March 14, 1967, he became the first coach to have won 65 games in a season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/196703140SFW.html|title=Philadelphia 76ers at San Francisco Warriors Box Score, March 14, 1967|publisher=Basketball-Reference|access-date=December 21, 2019}}</ref> Chamberlain would be awarded the MVP for the second straight season.<ref name=":11" /> Hannum then coached the [[Wilt Chamberlain]]-led [[Philadelphia 76ers]] to the [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] championship, ending the eight-year title streak of the [[Boston Celtics]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Corpuz|url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/52066-are-the-1967-philadelphia-76ers-the-greatest-nba-championship-team|title=1967 Philadelphia 76ers: Greatest NBA Championship Team Ever?|publisher=Bleacher Report|date=August 29, 2008|access-date=February 28, 2020}}</ref>

The 1967 Championship made 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]]).<ref>{{Cite web |title=NBA Championships: Coaches That Have Won at Least One Title |url=https://www.landofbasketball.com/championships/coches_with_titles.htm#google_vignette |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=www.landofbasketball.com}}</ref> The following year, the 76ers won 62 games for another division title and advanced all the way to the Eastern Division Finals, but the loss of [[Billy Cunningham]] due to a broken wrist in the Semifinals victory came to hinder the team, as the 76ers lost to the Celtics in seven games after having won three of the first four games. It was the first time in NBA playoff history that a team [[List of teams to overcome 3–1 series deficits|had lost a playoff series after being up 3-1]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Goldaper |first=Sam |date=April 29, 1981 |title=76ers See Lesson in '68 Series |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/04/29/sports/76ers-see-lesson-in-68-series.html |work=New York Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=1968 NBA Eastern Division Finals - Celtics vs. 76ers |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1968-nba-eastern-division-finals-celtics-vs-76ers.html |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> Hannum left the team after the season to coach the [[Oakland Oaks (ABA)|Oakland Oaks]] in the newly created [[American Basketball Association]].<ref name=":3" />

===Oakland Oaks (1968–1969)===
On May 3, 1968, Hannum signed a deal to become the head coach and executive vice president of the [[Oakland Oaks (ABA)|Oakland Oaks]] of the [[American Basketball Association]], as owned by singer [[Pat Boone]] along with S. Kenneth Davidson and Dennis A. Murphy.<ref>https://newspaperarchive.com/phoenix-arizona-republic-may-04-1968-p-87/</ref> He 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.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Keraghosian |first=Greg |title=The bumpy history of the Bay Area's first pro basketball title team |url=https://www.sfgate.com/warriors/article/oakland-oaks-rick-barry-aba-15885638.php |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240909055256/https://www.sfgate.com/warriors/article/oakland-oaks-rick-barry-aba-15885638.php |archive-date=2024-09-09 |access-date=2025-01-04 |work=SFGATE |language=en}}</ref> The team would have the services of [[Rick Barry]], who sat out a year rather than play it out with the Warriors when he tried to jump to the Oaks (who also offered Barry a stake in the team just like Hannum) the previous year.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Deford |first=Frank |title=THE FURLOUGH WAS SALUBRIOUS |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1968/10/28/the-furlough-was-salubrious |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=Sports Illustrated Vault {{!}} SI.com |language=en-us}}</ref>

Tasked with improving the worst team in the ABA the previous season, Hannum coached the Oaks to 60 wins (jumping out to a 25–4 start) even with the loss of Barry to a knee injury that saw him play 35 games. While fans were not particularly plentiful in Oakland, the Oaks had a 16-game winning streak occur at one point during the year. [[Warren Jabali]] (the ABA Rookie of the Year that season) delivered the [[1969 ABA Playoffs|1969 ABA Championship]] over the [[Indiana Pacers]] with a performance that saw him named Playoffs MVP, which he closed out with a 39-point performance in clinching Game 5.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-05-07 |title=On this Date, 1969: Oakland Oaks win ABA championship |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/05/07/on-this-date-1969-oakland-oaks-win-aba-championship/ |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=The Mercury News |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=1969 ABA Finals - Pacers vs. Oaks |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1969-aba-finals-pacers-vs-oaks.html |access-date=2025-01-04 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> The Oaks point guard was [[Larry Brown (basketball)|Larry Brown]] and backup small forward [[Doug Moe]] (who started in the finals), both of whom would go on to long coaching careers, and the Hall of Fame in Brown's case.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1968-69 Oakland Oaks Roster and Stats |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/OAK/1969.html |access-date=2025-01-04 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame :: Larry Brown |url=https://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/larry-brown/ |access-date=2025-01-01 |website=www.hoophall.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Doug Moe: Coaching Record, Awards |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/moedo01c.html |access-date=2025-01-01 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>

With the win (the first basketball championship by a West Coast team<ref>{{Cite web |title=NBA & ABA Champions |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/ |access-date=2025-01-04 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>), Hannum became the first of two coaches to win championships in both the NBA and ABA, the other being his USC teammate Bill Sharman.<ref name=":8" /> Hannum won the ABA Coach of the Year honors the same season.<ref name=":8" /> Hannum left after the season ended as the Oaks relocated to become the [[Washington Caps]] under new management by [[Earl Foreman]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-02-21 |title=The Curious Case of the ABA's Washington Caps {{!}} Boundary Stones |url=https://boundarystones.weta.org/2019/02/21/curious-case-abas-washington-caps |access-date=2025-01-04 |website=boundarystones.weta.org |language=en}}</ref>

===San Diego Rockets (1969–1971)===
Hannum was hired to be the head coach of the [[San Diego Rockets]] 26 gamed into the 1969–1970 season to replace [[Jack McMahon]]. The third-year franchise won 27 games that year before improving to 40 the following year, but a seven-game winning streak at the end of the season was all for naught as they narrowly finished one game behind San Francisco for second place in the Pacific Division, which would have meant a playoff spot.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-02-26 |title=Rondo, Carlisle both prickly, but playing style's the problem {{!}} Sporting News Australia |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/au/nba/news/rondo-carlisle-both-prickly-but-playing-styles-the-problem/qjsejhc3d2pu1i5wfdn9m3dlz |access-date=2025-01-04 |website=www.sportingnews.com |language=en-au}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Alex Hannum: Coaching Record, Awards |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/hannual01c.html |access-date=2025-01-04 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=1970-71 NBA Standings |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_1971_standings.html |access-date=2025-01-04 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> One of Hannum's players in San Diego was future Hall of Fame coach Pat Riley.<ref name=":9" /> On April 8, 1971, less than three weeks after the end of season, Hannum left the team, which soon relocated to [[Houston, Texas]].<ref name=":10" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=How The Rockets Came To Houston |url=https://houston.citycast.fm/history-archive/how-the-rockets-came-to-houston |access-date=2025-01-04 |website=City Cast Houston |language=en}}</ref> The Rockets first coach in Houston, succeeding Hannum, was Tex Winter, Hannum's old USC teammate.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tex Winter: Coaching Record, Awards |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/wintete99c.html |access-date=2025-01-04 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>

===Denver Rockets (1971–1974)===
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]] (later the Denver Nuggets) on April 8, 1971.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1971-04-09 |title=HANNUM WILL HEAD A.B.A. DENVER CLUB |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/04/09/archives/hannum-will-head-aba-denver-club.html |access-date=2024-07-05 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> It was Hannum who instituted changes to the color scheme of the team from orange and black to columbine blue and yellow.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Denver Rockets |url=http://www.remembertheaba.com/Denver-Rockets.html |website=remembertheaba.com}}</ref> In his first season, 1971–1972, the Rockets lost their opening playoff match to the Indiana Pacers in a seven-game series.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1972 ABA Playoffs Summary |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/ABA_1972.html |access-date=2025-01-04 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> Once again, Larry Brown was Hannum's point guard.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1972 ABA Western Division Semifinals - Rockets vs. Pacers |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1972-aba-western-division-semifinals-rockets-vs-pacers.html |access-date=2025-01-04 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>

On June 13, 1972, Hannum bought control of the Rockets with A.G. "Bud" Fischer and Frank M. Goldberg.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Denver Nuggets History - Team Origins, Logos & Jerseys - Lines.com |url=https://www.lines.com/nba/history-of-nba-teams/nuggets |access-date=2025-01-04 |website=LINES |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Douglas |first=Ashley |date=2017-08-10 |title=A look back at Denver Nuggets' history |url=https://www.denverstiffs.com/a-look-back-at-denver-nuggets-history-nba-alex-english-david-thompson-dan-issel/ |access-date=2025-01-04 |website=Denver Stiffs |language=en}}</ref> On October 26, 1972, Hannum engaged in an unusual strategy. He instructed his players  to foul any player of the [[Virginia Squires]] that was taking a shot in the fourth quarter. The result was a 155–111 victory that saw Virginia score 74 free throws while Denver had seven players foul out. The records for that quarter were later expunged and the game was declared a forfeit. Hannum said he was conducting an experiment because of “the trend of pressure defense...I wanted to see how far you could go without hurting your team's chances."<ref>{{Cite news |date=1972-11-07 |title=ROCKET 'FOUL' GAME AWARDED TO SQUIRES |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/11/07/archives/rocket-foul-game-awarded-to-squires.html |access-date=2024-07-05 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

In the 1972–73 season, Hannum coached the Rockets to the [[1973 ABA Playoffs]] where they again lost in the first round of the Western Division playoffs to the [[Indiana Pacers]], 4 games to 1.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1973 ABA Western Division Semifinals - Rockets vs. Pacers |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1973-aba-western-division-semifinals-rockets-vs-pacers.html |access-date=2025-01-04 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> Hannum returned the Rockets to the [[1974 ABA Playoffs]] where they lost to the [[San Diego Conquistadors]] in a one-game tie-breaker playoff.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1974 ABA Western Division Tiebreaker - Rockets vs. Conquistadors |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1974-aba-western-division-tiebreaker-rockets-vs-conquistadors.html |access-date=2025-01-04 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> On April 30, 1974, Hannum was dismissed as president, general manager and head coach of the Rockets (rebranded to Nuggets after the season ended) for Larry Brown, who had played for Denver in the 1971–72 season before being a head coach with [[Carolina Cougars|Carolina]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Larry Brown: Coaching Record, Awards |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/brownla01c.html |access-date=2025-01-04 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=McDermott |first=Barry |date=January 13, 1975 |title=MILE-HIGH NUGGETS OF PURE GOLD |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1975/01/13/milehigh-nuggets-of-pure-gold |journal=Sports Illustrated}}</ref><ref name=":10" /> Hannum never coached again.

Hannum's combined record (NBA and ABA), was 649–564 (.535) with a 61–46 record (.570) in the playoffs on 11 trips in 16 seasons.<ref name=":10" />

==Honors==
Hannum was inducted into the [[Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame]] in 1998.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame :: Alex Hannum |url=https://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/alex-hannum/ |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=www.hoophall.com |language=en}}</ref>

At least fourteen Hall-of-Famer players 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]], [[Calvin Murphy]], Chet Walker, and Guy Rodgers (for the Warriors).<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |title=Hannum Inducted Into Basketball Hall of Fame |url=https://usctrojans.com/news/1999/6/21/Hannum_Inducted_Into_Basketball_Hall_of_Fame.aspx |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=USC Athletics |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame :: Chet Walker |url=https://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/chet-walker/ |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=www.hoophall.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":12" /> In addition, future hall of fame coaches Pat Riley and Larry Brown played under Hannum, as did Hall-of-Famer [[Al Attles]] (for the Warriors), who contributed to the team as a player, coach and executive over six decades.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame :: Al Attles |url=https://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/al-attles/ |access-date=2025-01-04 |website=www.hoophall.com |language=en}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Hannum, a native of Los Angeles, and graduate of the University of Southern California, died at the age of 78 in [[San Diego]].<ref>{{cite web |title=NBA, ABA Coach Alex Hannum Dies |url=https://apnews.com/article/4fd8945ff235e452db7a834472995430 |website=AP News |access-date=March 22, 2022 |date=January 20, 2002}}</ref>

==Career statistics==
{{NBA player statistics legend}}

===Playing===

====NBA====
Source<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/hannual01.html|title=Alex Hannum NBA stats|website=[[Basketball Reference]]|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|accessdate=10 May 2023}}</ref>

=====Regular season=====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:right;"
|-
! Year
! Team
! GP
! MPG
! FG%
! FT%
! RPG
! APG
! PPG
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| [[1949–50 NBA season|1949–50]]
|style="text-align:left;"| [[1949–50 Syracuse Nationals season|Syracuse]]
| 64 || &ndash; || .363 || .688 || &ndash; || 2.0 || 7.5
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| [[1950–51 NBA season|1950–51]]
|style="text-align:left;"| [[1950–51 Syracuse Nationals season|Syracuse]]
| 63 || &ndash; || .368 || .543 || 4.8 || 1.9 || 7.5
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| [[1951–52 NBA season|1951–52]]
|style="text-align:left;"| [[1951–52 Baltimore Bullets season|Baltimore]]
|style="background:#CFECEC;"|35* || '''27.4''' || .353 || .683 || '''5.5''' || 2.1 || '''7.7'''
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1951|nolink=y}}
|style="text-align:left;"| [[1951–52 Rochester Royals season|Rochester]]
|style="background:#CFECEC;"|31* || 17.7 || '''.395''' || '''.750''' || 4.6 || 1.9 || 5.5
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| [[1952–53 NBA season|1952–53]]
|style="text-align:left;"| [[1952–53 Rochester Royals season|Rochester]]
| 68 || 18.9 || .358 || .662 || 4.1 || 1.2 || 5.1
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| [[1953–54 NBA season|1953–54]]
|style="text-align:left;"| [[1953–54 Rochester Royals season|Rochester]]
| '''72''' || 23.7 || .348 || .622 || 4.9 || 1.5 || 6.3
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| [[1954–55 NBA season|1954–55]]
|style="text-align:left;"| [[1954–55 Milwaukee Hawks season|Milwaukee]]
| 53 || 20.5 || .352 || .570 || 4.6 || 2.0 || 5.9
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| [[1955–56 NBA season|1955–56]]
|style="text-align:left;"| [[1955–56 St. Louis Hawks season|St. Louis]]
| 71 || 20.8 || .322 || .604 || 4.8 || '''2.2''' || 5.4
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| [[1956–57 NBA season|1956–57]]
|style="text-align:left;"| [[1956–57 Fort Wayne Pistons season|Fort Wayne]]
| 22 || 10.0 || .382 || .600 || 2.5 || .5 || 3.2
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1956|nolink=y}}
|style="text-align:left;"| [[1956–57 St. Louis Hawks season|St. Louis]]
| 37 || 11.4 || .327 || .694 || 2.8 || .5 || 3.3
|- class="sortbottom"
|style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career
| 516 || 19.8 || .354 || .629 || 4.5 || 1.7 || 6.0
|}

=====Playoffs=====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:right;"
|-
! Year
! Team
! GP
! MPG
! FG%
! FT%
! RPG
! APG
! PPG
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1950 NBA playoffs|1950]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1949–50 Syracuse Nationals season|Syracuse]]
| '''11''' || &ndash; || '''.442''' || .500 || &ndash; || .9 || '''8.5'''
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1951 NBA playoffs|1951]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1950–51 Syracuse Nationals season|Syracuse]]
| 7 || &ndash; || .436 || '''.800''' || '''6.7''' || '''2.4''' || 6.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1952 NBA playoffs|1952]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1951–52 Rochester Royals season|Rochester]]
| 6 || '''24.3''' || .381 || .615 || 4.3 || 1.3 || 6.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1953 NBA playoffs|1953]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1952–53 Rochester Royals season|Rochester]]
| 3 || 17.3 || .400 || .375 || 1.3 || .7 || 3.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1954 NBA playoffs|1954]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1953–54 Rochester Royals season|Rochester]]
| 6 || 17.8 || .414 || .625 || 3.7 || .8 || 6.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1956 NBA playoffs|1956]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1955–56 St. Louis Hawks season|St. Louis]]
| 8 || 19.9 || .318 || .543 || 3.6 || 1.3 || 7.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1957 NBA playoffs|1957]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1956–57 St. Louis Hawks season|St. Louis]]
| 2 || 3.0 || .000 || &ndash; || .0 || .0 || .0
|- class="sortbottom"
|style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career
| 43 || 18.8 || .394 || .565 || 4.0 || 1.2 || 6.7
|}

===Head coaching record===
{{NBA coach statistics legend}}
{{NBA coach statistics start}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1956–57 St. Louis Hawks season|St. Louis]]
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1956}}
| 31||15||16||{{winpct|15|16}}|| style="text-align:center;"|1st in [[Western Division (NBA)|Western]]||10||6||4||{{winpct|6|4}}
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in [[1957 NBA Finals|NBA Finals]]
|- style="background:#FDE910;"
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1957–58 St. Louis Hawks season|St. Louis]]
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1957}}
| 72||41||31||{{winpct|41|31}}|| style="text-align:center;"|1st in Western||11||8||3||{{winpct|8|3}}
| style="text-align:center;"|'''Won [[1958 NBA Finals|NBA Finals]]'''
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1960–61 Syracuse Nationals season|Syracuse]]
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1960}}
| 79||38||41||{{winpct|38|41}}|| style="text-align:center;"|3rd in [[Eastern Division (NBA)|Eastern]]||8||4||4||{{winpct|4|4}}
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost [[1961 NBA playoffs|Division finals]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1961–62 Syracuse Nationals season|Syracuse]]
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1961}}
| 80||41||39||{{winpct|41|39}}|| style="text-align:center;"|3rd in Eastern||5||2||3||{{winpct|2|3}}
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost [[1961 NBA playoffs|Division semifinals]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1962–63 Syracuse Nationals season|Syracuse]]
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1962}}
| 80||48||32||{{winpct|48|32}}|| style="text-align:center;"|2nd in Eastern||8||4||4||{{winpct|4|4}}
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost [[1962 NBA playoffs|Division semifinals]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1963–64 San Francisco Warriors season|San Francisco]]
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1963}}
| 80||48||32||{{winpct|48|32}}|| style="text-align:center;"|1st in Western||8||4||4||{{winpct|4|4}}
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in [[1964 NBA Finals|NBA Finals]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1964–65 San Francisco Warriors season|San Francisco]]
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1964}}
| 80||17||63||{{winpct|17|63}}|| style="text-align:center;"|5th in Western||—||—||—||—
| style="text-align:center;"|Missed playoffs
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1965–66 San Francisco Warriors season|San Francisco]]
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1965}}
| 80||35||45||{{winpct|35|45}}|| style="text-align:center;"|4th in Western||—||—||—||—
| style="text-align:center;"|Missed playoffs
|- style="background:#FDE910;"
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1966–67 Philadelphia 76ers season|Philadelphia]]
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1966}}
| 81||68||13||{{winpct|38|13}}|| style="text-align:center;"|1st in Eastern||15||11||4||{{winpct|11|4}}
| style="text-align:center;"|'''Won [[1967 NBA Finals|NBA Finals]]'''
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1967–68 Philadelphia 76ers season|Philadelphia]]
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1967}}
| 82||62||20||{{winpct|62|20}}|| style="text-align:center;"|1st in Eastern||13||7||6||{{winpct|7|6}}
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost [[1968 NBA playoffs|Division finals]]
|- style="background:#FDE910;"
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1968–69 Oakland Oaks season|Oakland]]
| style="text-align:left;"|{{abay|1968}}
| 78||60||18||{{winpct|60|18}}|| style="text-align:center;"|1st in Western||16||12||4||{{winpct|12|4}}
| style="text-align:center;"|'''Won [[1969 ABA Playoffs|ABA Finals]]'''
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1969–70 San Diego Rockets season|San Diego]]
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1969}}
| 56||18||38||{{winpct|18|38}}|| style="text-align:center;"|7th in Western||—||—||—||—
| style="text-align:center;"|Missed playoffs
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1970–71 San Diego Rockets season|San Diego]]
| style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1970}}
| 82||40||42||{{winpct|40|42}}|| style="text-align:center;"|3rd in [[Pacific Division (NBA)|Pacific]]||—||—||—||—
| style="text-align:center;"|Missed playoffs
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1971–72 Denver Rockets season|Denver]]
| style="text-align:left;"|{{abay|1971}}
| 84||34||50||{{winpct|34|50}}|| style="text-align:center;"|4th in Western||7||3||4||{{winpct|3|4}}
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost [[1972 ABA Playoffs|Division semifinals]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1972–73 Denver Rockets season|Denver]]
| style="text-align:left;"|{{abay|1972}}
| 84||47||37||{{winpct|48|37}}|| style="text-align:center;"|3rd in Western||5||1||4||{{winpct|1|4}}
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost [[1973 ABA Playoffs|Division semifinals]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1973–74 Denver Rockets season|Denver]]
| style="text-align:left;"|{{abay|1973}}
| 84||37||47||{{winpct|37|47}}|| style="text-align:center;"|4th in Western||—||—||—||—
| style="text-align:center;"|Missed playoffs
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career
| 1,213||649||564||{{winpct|649|564}}||&nbsp;||107||61||46||{{winpct|61|46}}
{{s-end}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{basketballstats}}
* [https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/hannual01c.html Basketball Reference statistics (as a coach)]
* {{Basketballhof|alex-hannum}}

{{Navboxes|list1=
{{s-start}}
{{s-sports}}
{{succession box | before = [[Bruce Hale]] | title = [[Oakland Oaks (ABA)|Oakland Oaks]] head coach | years = 1968–1969 | after = [[Al Bianchi]]}}
{{s-end}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hannum, Alex}}
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