Factory Of Sadness
FanSided

LeBron James remembers his first NBA head coach after Paul Silas passes away

By Chad Porto

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 19 : LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers sits on the bench during the game against the Washington Wizards on November 19, 2003 at the MCI Center in Washington DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 19 : LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers sits on the bench during the game against the Washington Wizards on November 19, 2003 at the MCI Center in Washington DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Paul Silas passed away, and LeBron James took the time to speak highly of his first coach.

LeBron James and Paul Silas will forever be intertwined due to their careers crossing paths early on in James’ NBA career. James was famously drafted first overall to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003 and Silas was tapped to lead the young James into his NBA career.

After all, Silas got the most out of Hornets star players Eddie Jones, Baron Davis, and Jamal Mashburn in Charlotte, never having a losing season with the squad, something his predecessors couldn’t say. Silas was a great coach and got the most out of those early Cavalier squads that were devoid of talent.

Besides James, Silas only had three other noteworthy names during his two-year span in Cleveland, Carlos Boozer (who he was no fan of) Drew Gooden (Boozer’s replacement), and Zydrunas Ilgauskas.

Despite that, he took a 17-win-Cavs team in 2002-2003, to a 35-win team in 2003-2004, and a 42-in team in 2004-2005. That was partly due to Silas being very intelligent, but also partly due to the fact that James really found his grove with Silas.

On Sunday, Mike Trudell spoke to James after his Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Detroit Pistons, and asked him about the passing of his former coach. James spoke highly of Silas, calling him one of the “greatest human beings” James has ever been around.

Paul Silas’ tenure in Cleveland ended due to constant turmoil

Despite leading the Cavs to a winning season, Silas was fired before the end of the ’04-’05 season and was replaced by Brendan Malone. Malone went just 8-10 in the team’s final 18 games, despite Silas ending his run with a 34-30 record.

There was a lot of upheaval in Cleveland with Silas over his brief two-season stint; from an incredible blowup over Eric Snow to Silas chasing Ira Newble the season prior, and GM Jim Paxton’s growing public disdain over the lack of a consistent rotation and substitution pattern.

James saw the firing coming, but most of the team apparently didn’t, and they played like it. Despite the issues Silas may have with some in the locker room, most loved the coach, and when he got fired, the team went into a nose-dive.

The team made the right call bringing in Mike Brown the following season, but it’s fair to say had Silas had several of those players from the ’05-’06 and ’06-’07 squad, the Cavs would’ve had a much better team during Silas’ run.

Next. 5 things you probably didn’t know about the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Kevin Love. dark

Home/Cleveland Cavaliers