Paul Silas

Lore & Background

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. 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.

Reader's Guide

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 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.

During his three seasons with the Suns, Silas averaged a double-double in rebounds and points each season, was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 1971 and 1972, and played in the 1972 NBA All-Star Game. During the 1971–72 season, his third with the Suns, Silas grabbed 955 rebounds in 80 games, and scored what would be a career-high 17.5 points per game. In September 1972, Silas was sent to the Boston Celtics in a deal which allowed the Suns to acquire the rights to Charlie Scott.

While with the Celtics, Silas was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 1973, the NBA All-Defensive First Team in 1975 and 1976, and played in the 1975 NBA All-Star Game. Silas was a key contributor to the Celtics' NBA championships in 1974 and 1976. Following their title in 1976, Boston general manager Red Auerbach traded Silas to the Denver Nuggets after a salary dispute. After one season (1976–77) with the Nuggets, Silas was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics.

He 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. During his NBA career, Silas collected more than 10,000 points and 10,000 rebounds over sixteen seasons, played in two NBA All-Star games, and won three championship rings (two with the Boston Celtics in 1974 and 1976, and one with the Seattle SuperSonics in 1979).

He was named to the All-NBA Defensive First Team twice, and to the All-NBA Defensive Second Team three times. Silas is one of 31 players to have averaged 10 points and 10 rebounds in the same season on eight occasions.