Coach Stephen Silas will miss the Houston Rockets' contest against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday. He will be in Charlotte to attend the memorial service for his late father, Paul Silas. And in his absence, Silas announced that assistant coach John Lucas II will fill in for his duties.
The Rockets' contest inside Little Caesars Arena will mark Silas' second absence since his father's death in December. Lucas led the Rockets to a 97-92 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Dec. 11.
"It’s going to be emotional," Silas said. "It's going to be great to see a bunch of people I haven’t seen in a long time. A bunch of people who played for my dad, or my dad played with.
"You just do the best you can and take the moments that you need. And this is a job for me, and I spend a lot of time doing my best at this job, whether it’s preparing, practicing, or games...There’s not a playbook for grieving."
Paul played 16 seasons in the NBA.
He received five All-Defensive team selections and became a two-time NBA All-Star in 1972 and 1975. After joining the Boston Celtics in 1972, Paul helped the franchise win two NBA titles in 1974 and 1976. He won his third and final title with the Seattle Supersonics in 1979.
Paul's first head coaching job came in 1980 with the then-San Diego Clippers. He later became the coach of the Charlotte Hornets, New Orleans Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers and Charlotte Bobcats.
Paul had his best season as coach of the Hornets during the 1999-00 campaign. He led Charlotte to a 49-33 record. And Silas joined his father's coaching staff the following season.
Since his hiring in 2020, Silas has credited his father as his greatest inspiration.
"I am proud to be my dad's son," Silas said. "I am proud people see him in me. Everything everyone had to say about him has been about him as a person, which has been the best part for me. When my time comes, I want people to say the same thing about me."
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