Who was Paul Silas? What teams was he associated with in the NBA?
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Paul Silas
Paul Silas was a former basketball player in the NBA, who also worked as the president of the players association, and a coach in the league for years. Silas won three NBA championships as a player; 2 with Boston Celtics in 1974 and 1976, and one with Seattle SuperSonics in 1979. Paul died on Sunday at the age of 79, his family announced. Stephen Silas, the Houston Rockets head coach is his son.
Paul Silas was drafted by Atlanta Hawks then known as St. Louis Hawks in 1964. He wasn’t that successful when he started his career, however, the big man started to notch up double numbers in points and rebounds after 3 seasons. He was traded to Phoenix Suns in 1969 and stayed there for three seasons before being traded to Boston Celtics in 1972.
Joining the Celtics gave Silas his big break as he won two NBA Championships in Boston in 1974 and 1976. He had a great contribution as he collected 191 rebounds and scored 144 points in 18 games in the 1974 championship run. During Celtics’ 1976 championship run Paul Silas elevated his game even more. He collected 246 rebounds and scored 194 points over 18 games. Paul’s last championship came with Seattle SuperSonics in 1979.
Silas began his coaching career with the then-San Diego Clippers in 1980. He continued to head coach the team for three years. He then got an assistant head coach job in 1988 and after spending a decade being an assistant coach for many different teams, Silas was finally given a chance to head coach in 1999. He went on to coach different teams like Charlotte Hornets, the New Orleans Hornets (Pelicans), the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Charlotte Bobcats over the years.
Also Read: LeBron James’ first NBA head coach, Paul Silas passes away at age 79
NBA community reacts to Paul Silas’ passing
Spending most of his career in the league as a player, and a head coach Paul was close to many people. When much hyped LeBron James joined NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Silas was his first head coach. Over his time in NBA, he stayed with a dozen teams and many people got close to him. After his demise on Saturday, the NBA community mourned Silas’ passing.
Former Chicago Bulls star and Charlotte Hornets chairman Michael Jordan wrote, “He combined the knowledge developed over nearly 40 years as an NBA player and coach with an innate understanding of how to mix discipline with his never-ending positivity.” Jordan also added, “On or off the court, Paul’s enthusiastic and engaging personality was accompanied by an anecdote for every occasion. He was one of the all-time great people in our game, and he will be missed.”
Silas’ daughter, Paula Silas had earlier informed The New York Times about her father’s death on Saturday night due to cardiac arrest. The Boston Globe first reported Silas’ death. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said: “We mourn the passing of former NBA All-Star and head coach Paul Silas, Paul’s lasting contributions to the game are seen through the many players and coaches he inspired, including his son, Rockets head coach Stephen Silas. We send our deepest condolences to Paul’s family.”
Hall of Fame guard and Los Angeles Lakers great Magic Johnson wrote on Twitter, “Paul made a huge contribution to the game of basketball and will be sorely missed!”
Silas’ former team as a head coach Cleveland Cavaliers released a statement over the death of their former coach and wrote, “His engaging presence and huge personality inspired legions of NBA players and coaches. We send our deepest condolences to the Silas family and everyone that loved him. Rest in power Coach!”
LeBron James said he was very much close to Paul and used to look for him in the crowd whenever he was in Charlotte. Being his first coach James had a special place for Silas in his heart. He said, “Probably one of the greatest human beings I’ve ever been around,” LeBron said in his on-court postgame interview. He added: “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.”
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Nandjee Ranjan
(488 Articles Published)