Inductees

Ben Kerner brought professional basketball to Missouri. Kerner bought the Milwaukee Hawks and brought them to St. Louis on a risk and gamble, which paid tremendous dividends to him and the city of St. Louis.

The St. Louis Hawks went to the NBA finals against the Boston Celtics in just their third year since relocating to St. Louis. The Hawks lost in seven games to the Celtics. The following year, 1957-’58 season, the Hawks turned the table by winning the World Championship against the Celtics in six games. The Hawks became one of the all-time great teams of the NBA, winning five division titles. During this time, the Hawks had four future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers playing and featured Missouri Sports Hall of Famers Cliff Hagan, Ed Macauley, Med Park and Bob Pettit.