Legendary hoops star Paul Silas dies at 79

Dec. 11 (UPI) — College Basketball Hall of Famer and three-time NBA champion Paul Silas died Sunday at 79 years old.

News of Silas’ death was shared by the Houston Rockets on Twitter. His son Stephen Silas is the head coach of the Rockets.

Silas was born in Prescott, Ark., in 1943. He was a highly-touted talent in college as a member of the Creighton Bluejays, averaging 20 rebounds for an entire season. He grabbed the attention of the NBA like he grabbed rebounds in college, leading to him being drafted 12th overall in the 1964 by the St. Louis Hawks.

“Papa Bear” spent five seasons with the Hawks, including during their move to Atlanta. He then was traded to the Phoenix where he spent two seasons before being dealt to the Boston Celtics. He won two NBA titles in Boston before being traded to Seattle in 1977. He finished his 16-year playing career in Seattle but not before winning his third title. The Sonics downed Washington in five games in 1979.

Silas was far from done with basketball. From 1980 to 2012 he was on and off of the sidelines as a coach. He spent 12 years as a head coach, including his start with the San Diego Clippers, two stints for the Charlotte Hornets, a year with the New Orleans Hornets and two seasons with a young Lebron James in Cleveland.

In 2017, Silas was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame. His no. 35 jersey is retired at Creighton.

Following the news of Silas’ death, the members of the basketball world shared their sorrow and memories of the legendary contributor to the game’s history.

RIP to Hall of Famer, 3X NBA Champion, and my guy Paul Silas. Paul made a huge contribution to the game of basketball and will be sorely missed! Cookie and I send our prayers and condolences to the entire Silas family ❤️— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) December 11, 2022

“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,” said Hornets owner Michael Jordan in a statement. “My thoughts, and the thoughts of our entire organization, are with his wife, Carolyn; his children, Paula and Stephen; and the entire Silas family.”

The cause of Silas’ death has not been determined.