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Silas died on Sunday, Dec. 11, at the age of 79, according to a tweet by the Houston Rockets, where Silas' son Stephen, is the team's head coach.
The cause of death was cardiac arrest, his daughter, Paula Silas-Guy, told The New York Times.
The Silas family lived in the town of Lewisboro hamlet of Waccabuc while Paul Silas was an assistant coach with the New York Knicks from 1989 to 1992 and New Jersey Nets from 1992 to 1995.
During part of that time, Stephen, a guard, was a basketball standout at John Jay High School in Cross River who went on to play at Brown University.
A three-time NBA championship player, Silas won two NBA titles with the Boston Celtics in 1974 and 1976, and a third with the Seattle SuperSonics in 1979.
From 1999 to 2012, Silas had stints as head coach in Charlotte, New Orleans, and Cleveland.
A 6-foot-7 forward during his playing days, Silas was renowned for his defensive skills. He played collegiately at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.
"Our heartfelt thoughts are with Stephen and his family during this difficult time," the Houston Rockets said in the tweet memorializing Silas.
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