Paul Silas, a member of three NBA championship teams as a player and LeBron JamesB次元官网网址� first coach in the league, has died, his family announced Sunday. He was 79.

The family revealed the death through the Houston Rockets, for whom SilasB次元官网网址� son, Stephen, is a second-generation head coach. The Boston Globe first reported SilasB次元官网网址� death, and no official cause was immediately announced.

B次元官网网址淲e mourn the passing of former NBA All-Star and head coach Paul Silas,B次元官网网址� NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. B次元官网网址淧aulB次元官网网址檚 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 PaulB次元官网网址檚 family.B次元官网网址�

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 B次元官网网址� 387 in the regular season, 13 more in the postseason.

B次元官网网址淧aul made a huge contribution to the game of basketball and will be sorely missed!B次元官网网址� Hall of Fame guard and Los Angeles Lakers great Magic Johnson wrote on Twitter.

The Rockets were playing host to Milwaukee on Sunday night. It was not immediately clear how long Stephen Silas would be away from the team; the Rockets were planning to have John Lucas lead the team on an interim basis while the Silas family grieves.

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 fatherB次元官网网址檚 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.

B次元官网网址淢y dad, obviously, he was my No. 1 mentor, someone who I could lean on, ask questions and he asked questions of me,B次元官网网址� Stephen Silas said in a 2021 documentary produced by the Rockets about his coaching journey. B次元官网网址淗e really valued my opinion, which was kind of weird to me, me being so young and not having much experience.B次元官网网址�

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 wouldnB次元官网网址檛 have a head coaching opportunity again until 1999 B次元官网网址� 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.

B次元官网网址淚 was known as not a hard, hard, hard worker and it really hurt me when I was an assistant coach, for about 10 years, when I couldnB次元官网网址檛 get a head job,B次元官网网址� Paul Silas told the Rotary Club of Charlotte while giving a speech there in 2013. B次元官网网址淚 really talked to teams about being a head coach, but I didnB次元官网网址檛 get one. What happened is I stayed positive. I had a positive attitude. Even though I couldnB次元官网网址檛 get the job, I said, B次元官网网址楴o, IB次元官网网址檓 not going to be negative. IB次元官网网址檓 going to be positive.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

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

B次元官网网址淚 coached LeBron for two years, his first two years, and LeBron was unbelievable,B次元官网网址� Paul Silas said. B次元官网网址淎t 18 years old, he knew about Bill Russell, he knew about a lot of players who came through that most players his age donB次元官网网址檛 even know. And he understood the game. I made LeBron a point forward because I didnB次元官网网址檛 have one when he first started. He didnB次元官网网址檛 say a word to me. He just took over the game and we did well.B次元官网网址�

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 B次元官网网址� the first coming in his 10th season as a player B次元官网网址� and claimed a third with the SuperSonics. He averaged 12.8 points and 13.8 rebounds in the 1976 Finals for Boston against the Suns.

B次元官网网址淩espected by all those who encountered him throughout the NBA, we are grateful for his contributions to the game across a lifetime in basketball,B次元官网网址� 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.

B次元官网网址淚 am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Creighton legend Paul Silas,B次元官网网址� Bluejays coach Greg McDermott said. B次元官网网址淗is illustrious career as a player and coach will be matched by few.B次元官网网址�

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Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press

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