Kansas City Royals: Mike Matheny should be next Royals manager

KANSAS CITY, MO - MAY 28: Manager Ned Yost #3 of the Kansas City Royals talks with manager Mike Matheny #22 of the St. Louis Cardinals during bating practice prior to an interleague game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Kauffman Stadium on May 28, 2013 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) /

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Syracuse Nationals Head Coach Alex Hannum looks on from the bench (Photo by The Stevenson Collection/NBAE via Getty Images) /

National Basketball Association

Once upon a time, the City of Saint Louis had a basketball team. (Well, really, thrice upon a time, but we’re not here to talk about the Spirits or Bombers.)

Before moving to Atlanta, the Hawks played in St. Louis from 1955-56 through 1967-68, even winning it all in 1957-58 under Alex Hannum. Hannum would then land with the Warriors, first in Philly then San Francisco, winning it all again 1966-67 thanks mostly to a giant center who played his college ball in Lawrence, Kansas.

Interestingly, two years later, Hannum led the aptly named Oakland Oaks to the ABA championship.

As far as legacies go, Hannum doesn’t come close to being in the same category as the other ex-Hawks coach who found greater success post-St. Louis. That would be Red Holzman, the only coach to win the NBA Championship with the New York Knicks. To boot, Holzman, who coached the Hawks in both Milwaukee and St. Louis for four seasons, won it all in New York twice, in 1969-70 and 1972-73.

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