Paul Silas obit

NBA champion and longtime coach Paul Silas dies at 79

Paul Silas, the father of Houston Rockets coach Stephen Silas, dies at 79, his family announced Sunday.

 

He was not on the list.

Basketball taught Paul Silas how to be patient.

As a player, he waited 10 years before winning his first championship. As a coach, he waited 15 years for a second chance at running a team. As a father, he waited 20 years before seeing his son get a chance to lead a franchise.

“I always tried to remain positive,” Silas said in 2013, “and I think it usually worked out.”

Silas — who touched the game as a player, coach and president of the National Basketball Players Association — died, his family announced Sunday. Silas, whose son, Stephen Silas, is coach of the Houston Rockets, was 79.

“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,” Charlotte Hornets chairman Michael Jordan said. “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-Guy, told The New York Times that her father died Saturday night of cardiac arrest. The Boston Globe first reported Silas’ death.

“We mourn the passing of former NBA All-Star and head coach Paul Silas,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “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.”

Tributes began arriving quickly. Pregame moments of silence were held in New Orleans, Philadelphia, New York and Houston among other places, and Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams and Charlotte coach Steve Clifford were among those who spoke at length about Silas’ role on their careers.

“For my family, he’s a god. He’s larger than life,” Clifford said.

Paul Silas began his career as a head coach with a three-year stint leading the then-San Diego Clippers starting in 1980. After spending more than a decade as an assistant, he returned to being a head coach and spent time with the Charlotte Hornets, the New Orleans Hornets, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Charlotte Bobcats.

He took four of those teams to the playoffs, winning exactly 400 games — 387 in the regular season, 13 more in the postseason.

“Probably one of the greatest human beings I’ve ever been around,” LeBron James told Spectrum SportsNet after he and the Los Angeles Lakers defeated Detroit on Sunday night. “The start of my journey in this league started with him. His command, his principles, his attention to detail, his love for family … to hear that news was very sad.”

The Rockets played host to Milwaukee on Sunday night, winning 97-92. It was not immediately clear how long Stephen Silas would be away from the team; the Rockets are having assistant coach John Lucas lead the team on an interim basis while the Silas family grieves.

“His engaging presence and huge personality inspired legions of NBA players and coaches,” the Cavaliers said of Paul Silas in a team-released statement. “We send our deepest condolences to the Silas family and everyone that loved him. Rest in power Coach!”

Stephen Silas got into the NBA world when his father was coaching in Charlotte, starting as an advance scout and eventually serving as an assistant on his father’s staff with the Hornets in 2000. It took Stephen Silas two decades to get a chance to be a head coach, that coming when Houston hired him in 2020.

“My dad, obviously, he was my No. 1 mentor, someone who I could lean on, ask questions and he asked questions of me,” Stephen Silas said in a 2021 documentary produced by the Rockets about his coaching journey. “He really valued my opinion, which was kind of weird to me, me being so young and not having much experience.”

Rex Chapman tweeted outPaul Silas was a giant in basketball circles. A great man. Was fortunate to spend a couple of seasons with Paul when he was an asst coach with the Suns. I don’t know anyone with a bad word to say about him — ever. A sad day. My heart is with Stephen and the family. Rest, Paul.

Stephen Silas persevered for a long time before getting his big chance. He saw his father wait a long time for the job he wanted as well. Paul Silas was fired by the San Diego Clippers in 1983 and wouldn’t have a head coaching opportunity again until 1999 — coming when Dave Cowens, for whom Paul Silas was an assistant, stepped down in Charlotte after a 4-11 start to the shortened 1998-99 season.

“I stayed positive. I had a positive attitude,” Paul Silas told the Rotary Club of Charlotte while giving a speech there in 2013. “Even though I couldn’t get the job, I said, ‘No, I’m not going to be negative. I’m going to be positive.’”

Eventually, Silas would take over in Cleveland. He got there in 2003, the same year the Cavaliers drafted James.

“I coached LeBron for two years, his first two years, and LeBron was unbelievable,” Paul Silas said. “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.”

In time, James would become a champion. It took Paul Silas a few years to get to that level as a player as well.

He was a five-time All-Defensive team selection who averaged 9.4 points and 9.9 rebounds in 16 seasons with the St. Louis and Atlanta Hawks, Phoenix, Boston, Denver and Seattle. Silas won two titles with the Celtics — the first coming in his 10th season as a player — and claimed a third with the SuperSonics. At 36, he was then the NBA’s oldest player when he retired. And as the union president, Silas oversaw a time where rosters grew, salaries rose and benefits improved.

“Respected by all those who encountered him throughout the NBA, we are grateful for his contributions to the game across a lifetime in basketball,” the Suns said Sunday.

Paul Silas played his college basketball at Creighton, averaging 20.5 points and 21.6 rebounds in three seasons. He was voted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.

Said Bluejays coach Greg McDermott: “His illustrious career as a player and coach will be matched by few.”

Silas was selected by the St. Louis Hawks in the second round of the 1964 NBA draft with the 12th overall pick. After a relatively slow career start, Silas reached double figures in both rebounds and points per game during the 1967–68 season, in which he averaged 11.7 rebounds per game and 13.4 points per game. His rebounding average was third best on the Hawks that season, behind teammates Zelmo Beaty (11.7 rpg) and Bill Bridges (13.4 rpg). After five seasons with the Hawks, Silas was traded to the Phoenix Suns for Gary Gregor, who had been named to the 1969 NBA All-Rookie Team.

During his three seasons with the Suns, Silas averaged a double-double in rebounds and points each season, was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 1971 and 1972, and played in the 1972 NBA All-Star Game. During the 1971–72 season, his third with the Suns, Silas grabbed 955 rebounds in 80 games, and scored what would be a career-high 17.5 points per game. In September 1972, Silas was sent to the Boston Celtics in a deal which allowed the Suns to acquire the rights to Charlie Scott,[5] who had led the American Basketball Association in scoring with 34.6 points per game during its 1971–72 season.

While with the Celtics, Silas was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 1973, the NBA All-Defensive First Team in 1975 and 1976, and played in the 1975 NBA All-Star Game. Silas was a key contributor to the Celtics' NBA championships in 1974 and 1976. His inside play freed up their undersized center, 6-foot-9-inch (2.06 m) Dave Cowens, whose shooting ability from the outside opened up the interior for Silas.

Following their title in 1976, Boston general manager Red Auerbach traded Silas to the Denver Nuggets after a salary dispute. After one season (1976–77) with the Nuggets, Silas was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics. He played an important role with Seattle as an enforcer, and the SuperSonics reached the championship series in both 1978 and 1979 with Silas, winning an NBA title in 1979 in five games in a rematch against the Washington Bullets.

During his NBA career, Silas collected more than 10,000 points and 10,000 rebounds over sixteen seasons, played in two NBA All-Star games, and won three championship rings (two with the Boston Celtics in 1974 and 1976, and one with the Seattle SuperSonics in 1979). He was named to the All-NBA Defensive First Team twice, and to the All-NBA Defensive Second Team three times.

Immediately upon retirement, Silas started his coaching career with the San Diego Clippers from 1980 to 1983, becoming their head coach, compiling a 78–168 record for a team that struggled with injuries to stars including Bill Walton. After taking time off, Silas was an assistant coach for the New Jersey Nets for one season from 1988 to 1989, and then became an assistant coach with the New York Knicks from 1989 to 1992 as one of the holdovers from the Stu Jackson and John Macleod eras. Silas then went back to work for the Nets as an assistant under Chuck Daly and later Butch Beard from 1992 to 1995, leaving to work with the Suns from 1995 to 1997. At one point, Silas was one of the names considered for the head coaching job of the Boston Celtics in the summer of 1995, before general manager M.L. Carr decided to name himself as coach of the team.

 

After joining the coaching staff of the Charlotte Hornets in 1997, Silas was finally given another chance as a coach after becoming the interim coach of the Hornets when Dave Cowens was fired after a 4–11 record. Under Silas, the Hornets turned it around and went 22–13 to finish the lockout-shortened season 26–24, missing the playoffs by one game. Silas had the interim tag lifted off of his status and became the full-time head coach of the Hornets from 1999 all the way into their first season where they moved to New Orleans. Coaching the team from 1999 to 2003, Silas had a 208–155 record, taking the team into the playoffs each season he was the head coach after that 1999 season, including two Eastern Conference Semifinals appearances. Silas had a reputation of being a coach who was very honest but fair with his criticism of his players, which they mostly appreciated. Silas was fired as coach on May 4, 2003, in a move that puzzled many Hornets players (including Baron Davis) who enjoyed playing for him.

Silas was head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2003 to 2005. Hired to mentor 18-year-old rookie LeBron James as his first head coach as a professional player, Silas' tenure was rife with controversy as he feuded with veteran point guard Eric Snow. The new owner of the team Dan Gilbert fired him in the middle of the season with the Cavaliers at 34–30 and fifth place in the Eastern Conference. The Cavs collapsed after Silas' firing, missing the playoffs with a 42–40 record after losing a tiebreaker with the New Jersey Nets.

Silas then worked for ESPN, although in April 2007, he interviewed for the vacant head coaching position with the Charlotte Bobcats (later known as the Charlotte Hornets) which was eventually filled by Sam Vincent. Upon the firing of Vincent in April 2008, he stated that coaching the Bobcats would be a "dream job."

On December 22, 2010, Silas was named interim head coach of the Bobcats, replacing the outgoing coach Larry Brown. On February 16, 2011, the Bobcats removed his interim status. In 2011–12, Charlotte had a league-worst 7–59 record, the worst winning percentage in league history (.106). On April 30, 2012, the Bobcats announced that Silas would not return for the 2012–2013 season

Career history

As player:

1964–1969           St. Louis / Atlanta Hawks

1969–1972           Phoenix Suns

1972–1976           Boston Celtics

1976–1977           Denver Nuggets

1977–1980           Seattle SuperSonics

As coach:

1980–1983           San Diego Clippers

1988–1989           New Jersey Nets (assistant)

1989–1992           New York Knicks (assistant)

1992–1995           New Jersey Nets (assistant)

1995–1997           Phoenix Suns (assistant)

1997–1999           Charlotte Hornets (assistant)

1999–2002           Charlotte Hornets

2002–2003           New Orleans Hornets

2003–2005           Cleveland Cavaliers

2010–2012           Charlotte Bobcats

Career highlights and awards

 

    3× NBA champion (1974, 1976, 1979)

    2× NBA All-Star (1972, 1975)

    2× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1975, 1976)

    3× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1971–1973)

    Second-team All-American – NABC (1964)

    Third-team All-American – AP, UPI (1964)

    No. 35 retired by Creighton Bluejays

    NCAA rebounding leader (1963)

    Second-team Parade All-American (1960)

    California Mr. Basketball (1960)

 

Career playing statistics

Points   11,782 (9.4 ppg)

Rebounds           12,357 (9.9 rpg)

Assists  2,572 (2.1 apg)

Stats Edit this at Wikidata at NBA.com

Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Career coaching record

NBA       387–488 (.442)