Paul Theron Silas (July 12, 1943 – December 10, 2022) was an American professional basketball player and head coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a player, he was a two-time NBA All-Star and earned five selections to the NBA All-Defensive Team, including twice on the first team. He 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. He played college basketball for the Creighton Bluejays, earning second-team All-American honors as a senior in 1964. He was selected in the second round of the 1964 NBA draft, and played 16 seasons in the league. After his playing career, Silas was a head coach for 12 seasons. Early life Silas was born on July 12, 1943, in Prescott, Arkansas. His family moved to Oakland, California, when he was eight. Initially, they shared a home in Oakland with his cousins, four of whom became members of the rhythm & blues group The Pointer Sisters. Silas attended McClymonds High School, where he was named California Mr. Basketball and a second-team Parade All-American as a senior. He was undefeated with the Warriors, who went 68–0 and were the 1 team in California from 1958 to 1960. His teammates included future pro basketball players Jim Hadnot and Joe Ellis, football player Wendell Hayes, and baseball player Aaron Pointer, another cousin of Silas. College career Silas attended Creighton University, where he set an NCAA record for the most rebounds in a three-year career and was the Division I rebounding leader for the 1962–63 season with 20.6 rebounds per game. He was named a second-team All-American by the National Association of Basketball Coaches in 1964. Silas' career scoring average was over 20 points per game. However, his offense dropped after he suffered a torn tendon in his right leg as a junior, after which, he focused on his inside game. He was voted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017. Professional playing career Silas was selected by the St. Louis Hawks in the second round of the 1964 NBA draft with the 12th overall pick. 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. His rebounding average