25 Facts About Paul Silas

Paul Theron Silas was an American professional basketball player and head coach in the National Basketball Association.

Paul Silas won three NBA championships: two with the Boston Celtics and one with the Seattle SuperSonics.

In high school, Silas was named a second-team Parade All-American and voted California Mr Basketball.

Paul Silas played college basketball for the Creighton Bluejays, earning second-team All-American honors as a senior in 1964.

Paul Silas was selected in the second round of the 1964 NBA draft, and played 16 seasons in the league.

Paul Silas was born on July 12,1943, in Prescott, Arkansas.

Paul Silas's family moved to Oakland, California, when he was eight.

Paul Silas attended McClymonds High School, where he was named California Mr Basketball and a second-team Parade All-American as a senior.

Paul Silas's teammates included future pro basketball players Jim Hadnot and Joe Ellis, football player Wendell Hayes, and baseball player Aaron Pointer, another cousin of Silas.

Paul Silas was named a second-team All-American by the National Association of Basketball Coaches in 1964.

Paul Silas' career scoring average was over 20 points per game.

Paul Silas was voted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.

Paul Silas was selected by the St Louis Hawks in the second round of the 1964 NBA draft with the 12th overall pick.

Paul Silas's rebounding average was third best on the Hawks that season, behind teammates Zelmo Beaty and Bill Bridges.

Paul Silas was a key contributor to the Celtics' NBA championships in 1974 and 1976.

Paul Silas 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.

Paul Silas was named to the All-NBA Defensive First Team twice, and to the All-NBA Defensive Second Team three times.

Paul 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.

Paul 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.

Paul Silas had a reputation of being a coach who was very honest but fair with his criticism of his players, which they mostly appreciated.

Paul Silas was fired as coach on May 4,2003, in a move that puzzled many Hornets players who enjoyed playing for him.

Paul Silas was head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2003 to 2005.

Paul Silas then worked for ESPN, although in April 2007, he interviewed for the vacant head coaching position with the Charlotte Bobcats which was eventually filled by Sam Vincent.

On December 22,2010, Paul Silas was named interim head coach of the Bobcats, replacing the outgoing coach Larry Brown.

Paul Silas died of cardiac arrest on December 10,2022, at home in Denver, North Carolina.