Boston Celtics legend and three-time NBA champion Paul Silas, has died aged 79. Check out his cause of death and net worth here.
Paul Silas : Died | Cause of death | Stats | Net worth
Paul Theron Silas was an American professional basketball player and NBA head coach.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 12, 1943 Prescott, Arkansas |
| Died | December 11, 2022 (aged 79) |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Listed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
Silas attended Creighton University, where he set an NCAA record for the most rebounds in three seasons and averaged an NCAA leading 20.6 rebounds per game in the 1962–63 season.
His career scoring average was over 20 points per game.
Silas was drafted by the St. Louis Hawks in the second round of the 1964 draft.
Paul Silas died
Paul Silas, a member of three NBA championship teams as a player and LeBron James’ 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 Silas’ son, Stephen, is a second-generation head coach.
The Boston Globe first reported Silas’ death, and no official cause was immediately announced.
“Our heartfelt thoughts are with Stephen and his family during this difficult time,” the Rockets said in a statement.
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.
Paul Silas cause of death
The cause was cardiac arrest, his daughter Paula Silas-Guy said.
“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.”
Hornets owner Michael Jordan remembered Silas as an “incredible leader.”
“Our Hornets family mourns the passing of Paul Silas. Paul was an incredible leader and motivator who served as our head coach on two occasions,” Jordan said in a statement.
“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. 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. My thoughts, and the thoughts of our entire organization, are with his wife, Carolyn; his children, Paula and Stephen; and the entire Silas family.”
Stats
Silas was drafted by the St. Louis Hawks in the second round of the 1964 draft. 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.
|
Year
|
Team
|
GP
|
Min
|
Pts
|
FG%
|
Reb
|
Ast
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1979
|
OKC
|
82
|
19.5
|
3.8
|
37.8
|
5.3
|
0.8
|
|
1978
|
OKC
|
82
|
23.9
|
5.6
|
42.3
|
7.0
|
1.4
|
|
1977
|
OKC
|
82
|
26.5
|
5.8
|
39.7
|
8.1
|
1.8
|
|
1976
|
DEN
|
81
|
24.2
|
7.2
|
36.0
|
7.5
|
1.6
|
|
1975
|
BOS
|
81
|
32.9
|
10.7
|
42.6
|
12.7
|
2.5
|
|
1974
|
BOS
|
82
|
32.5
|
10.6
|
41.7
|
12.5
|
2.7
|
|
1973
|
BOS
|
82
|
31.7
|
11.5
|
44.0
|
11.2
|
2.3
|
|
1972
|
BOS
|
80
|
32.7
|
13.3
|
47.0
|
13.0
|
3.1
|
|
1971
|
PHX
|
80
|
38.5
|
17.5
|
47.0
|
11.9
|
4.3
|
|
1970
|
PHX
|
81
|
36.3
|
11.9
|
42.8
|
12.5
|
3.0
|
|
1969
|
PHX
|
78
|
36.4
|
12.8
|
46.4
|
11.7
|
2.7
|
|
1968
|
ATL
|
79
|
23.5
|
8.7
|
41.9
|
9.4
|
1.8
|
|
1967
|
ATL
|
82
|
32.3
|
13.4
|
45.8
|
11.7
|
2.0
|
|
1966
|
ATL
|
77
|
20.4
|
6.8
|
42.9
|
8.7
|
1.0
|
|
1965
|
ATL
|
46
|
12.7
|
3.8
|
40.5
|
5.1
|
0.5
|
|
1964
|
ATL
|
79
|
15.7
|
4.6
|
37.3
|
7.3
|
0.6
|
|
Career
|
|
1,254
|
27.9
|
9.4
|
43.2
|
9.9
|
2.1
|
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.
Net worth
Paul silas has an estimated net worth of about $5 million at the time of his death.