When did Paul Silas hand LeBron James his debut?
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LeBron James played the first game of his NBA career under head coach Paul Silas in 2003, when he was drafted by Cleveland Cavaliers. Silas was not only an excellent head coach but he had an excellent playing career in NBA. Paul Silas was first drafted by the St. Louis Hawks in the 1964 NBA draft. Over 16 seasons in the NBA, Silas emerged as one of the best defensive players in the league. Silas died on December 11, 2022.
For the first two seasons, Paul failed to find his groove and impact on the team. However, he later grew to become a double-double master over the years, as he started to score and grab rebounds both in double digits. It was in the 1967-68 season that Silas averaged a double-double in a season. He averaged 13.4 points and 11.7 rebounds per game in a season. That was not it, as Paul went on to repeat a double-double average in 7 more seasons in his career.
Despite having an excellent presence on the defensive glass, Paul was traded twice since he played for the Hawks. He was traded to Phoenix Suns and later on sent to Boston Celtics in 1972, where he got a big break. Paul stayed in Boston till 1976 when he was traded to Denver Nuggets. In his four years with the Celtics, Silas won 2 NBA championships. After joining Seattle Supersonics in 1977, Paul won his 3rd NBA championship.
In his prosperous NBA career as a player, Silas was a 2x All-Star, 2x NBA All-Defensive First Team, 3x Defensive Second Team, and he was 3x NBA Champion. As a head coach, Paul was the first head coach of NBA superstar LeBron James. He never won a championship as a head coach but carried all his teams into the postseason. He averaged 6.9 points and 9.4 rebounds over his 16 years of playing career.
Also Read: LeBron James’ first NBA head coach, Paul Silas passes away at age 79
LeBron James makes his debut under coach Paul Silas
Exactly 6984 days ago on October 29, 2003, Paul Silas handed LeBron James his first opportunity to play in the NBA game. LeBron made his debut against the Sacramento Kings and was an instant hit. Coming into the league already as a superstar, nobody knew how James would perform.
But the pressure was not on just LeBron, being his coach Silas also had very less room for failing in the season. James was not well received by his teammates and Silas found it challenging to fit James in the lineup without hurting his roster. Despite losing the game, much to Silas’ relief, James exploded for 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 9 assists in his first NBA game. Silas had found “The Chosen One.”
Both James and Paul maintained a close relationship off the court even after Silas’ coaching career in Cleveland. Silas was always impressed with James’ attention to detail and knowledge about the game. “I coached LeBron for two years, his first two years, and LeBron was unbelievable,” Silas once reflected. “At 18 years old, he knew about Bill Russell, he knew about a lot of players who came through that most players his age don’t even know. And he understood the game.”
Speaking to Mike Trudell after the game against Detroit Pistons, LeBron took a moment to reflect upon Silas’ passing. “Probably one of the greatest human beings I’ve ever been around,” LeBron said. “The start of my journey in this league started with him. His command, his principles, his attention to detail, but his love for family. I feel for his whole family, his beautiful wife, obviously (Houston Rockets head coach) Stephen Silas down in Houston. Every time I would go back to Charlotte he would always come to the games. And I would always try to look for him in the crowd. To hear that news is very sad.”
Also Read: Who was Paul Silas? What teams was he associated with in the NBA?
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Nandjee Ranjan
(488 Articles Published)