Who is Stephen Silas? Meet the man who will coach the Houston Rockets
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Stephen Silas isn't necessarily a household name to the casual NBA fan, but his work as a scout or assistant over the past two decades has won him respect in league circles.
His last name, though, should be familiar due to his basketball pedigree.
Here are some things you should know about the man taking over the bench as Houston Rockets head coach.
Following in his dad's footsteps
While Stephen Silas' name isn't familiar to the average NBA fan, his father's might be.
Paul Silas was a longtime coach in the league. He was the head coach of the Hornets, the defunct Bobcats, and the Cavaliers during LeBron James' rookie year.
Stephen has served as his father's assistant a couple of times in his career.
With the Rockets, Stephen is making his own name in his first head coaching job.
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He coached superstars
Stephen Silas' resume stretches over two decades, starting in the Charlotte Hornets system.
But the athletes he trained and coached are a who's who of NBA stars.
Indeed, Silas helped coach LeBron James early in his career while assisting his dad in Cleveland.
Silas was an assistant with the Golden State Warriors from 2006 to 2010. One of those years included the rookie season of two-time MVP Stephen Curry.
His longest stint was with the Charlotte Bobcats, who later reverted to the Hornets name, between 2010 and 2018. His biggest star over that time was Kemba Walker, who became the franchise's scoring leader.
His latest stint was with the Dallas Mavericks, where he got the opportunity to work during Dirk Nowitzki's retirement year, as well as being a leading influence in shaping Luka Doncic's first two years in the league.
He now gets to help run the offense through James Harden and Russell Westbrook.
He was on the Rockets' radar before
Before Tilman Fertitta purchased his hometown team, Stephen Silas was on a shortlist to become Houston's coach once before.
Ahead of the 2016-2017 season, he emerged as one of two leading candidates for the Rockets' vacancy at the time. The other was Mike D'Antoni, who eventually was hired.
Silas would go on to fill in as Charlotte's head coach for more than a month in the 2017-2018 season.
It would take another four seasons before Silas and the Rockets would cross paths again. But his hiring becomes a full circle moment for both sides.
His family and schooling
Stephen has a sister named Paula. He is married to his wife Keryl, and they have two daughters.
He doesn't have a professional playing career, but he played four seasons of basketball for his alma mater Brown University.
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