RIP Paul Silas

[TheSportsPredictor]

Many accolades during playing career and three decades as a coach.

 

[BTExpress]

Had the misfortune of coaching a team even worse than the 9-73 1972-73 76ers (the 7-59 Charlotte Bobcats of 2011-12).

 

[Michael_ Gee]

Tremendous player. Without him the Celtics are minus two titles. Very sad news.

 

[hondo]

One of the great "garbage men" of all times. All he did was play defense, rebound, pick up loose balls, or knock them loose.

 

[Songbird]

 

[Starman]

One of the "heroes" of the great and inexplicably out-of-print Connie Hawkins biography "Foul" (also one of the great unmade sports movies).

 

[Slacker]

Paul Silas, whose 76ers and Bobcats
teams wilted when he was their coach ...

:rolleyes:

 

[Sam Mills 51]

If we care to honor the man, never associate him with the Bobcats.

A man of more substance than many might know. RIP, good sir and Thank You.

 

[X-Hack]

I'm a little young to remember his Celtics years, but I remember him as an important contributor on the great Sonics teams of the late 70s. I also remember watching a Sonics game back then and the broadcasters announcing that he had recently become a grandfather. It blew my mind because I was about 8 or 9 years old and my father was about Silas's age. Is there anyone else who was a grandfather while still an active NBA player?

Different sport, but I believe Brett Favre became a grandfather before his final season

 

[BTExpress]

Robert Parish was.

 

[Sea Bass]

I'm a little young to remember his Celtics years, but I remember him as an important contributor on the great Sonics teams of the late 70s. I also remember watching a Sonics game back then and the broadcasters announcing that he had recently become a grandfather. It blew my mind because I was about 8 or 9 years old and my father was about Silas's age. Is there anyone else who was a grandfather while still an active NBA player?

Different sport, but I believe Brett Favre became a grandfather before his final season

Pretty sure Jayson Williams was, perhaps while he was still in his 20s, but I think there may have been an asterisk.

 

[qtlaw]

Silas just a beacon of what an honorable man should be. May he RIP.

 

[User 149557]

I aways thought LeBron was lucky to start his career with Silas, just as an example of how to comport oneself.

 

[X-Hack]

My wife's college roommate was a PR person with the old Charlotte Hornets before they moved to Nola. She traveled with them for a while and we used to go to the games whenever the Hornets rolled into town and got comp seats behind their bench. Got to chat a bit with Silas when he was coaching them. What a nice man.

 

[exmediahack]

He was like the Kevin Bacon of the NBA since the mid-70s. Everyone had some connection to his work.

 

[PCLoadLetter]

My favorite Paul Silas story is when Ira Newble confronted Silas to complain about his playing time after a game. It ended with Newble running past reporters to get away from Silas, who was shouting at Newble and called him a "hip hop mother****er." Silas was about 60 and Newble wanted none of that.

RIP.

 

[Liut]

As professional sports coaches go, Paul Silas may have been the most gracious I ever met. First time with him, we sat down for an wide-ranging interview and I asked about Don Sterling. Now, we'd just met, but Silas did not avoid the question. He didn't respond with anything earthshattering, but just said something like, "that was a tough experience to go through."

Other than professionalism and kindness, probably will remember him for the night he'd moved on to the Cavs, got frustrated with questioning and and asked in a raised voice, and I'm paraphrasing, "Do you think I'm speaking Chinese?" The line and tone were so uncharacteristic of him, I laughed. Still chuckle at the memory.

Rest in peace, Mr. Silas.