Shared experiences bond Silas with Unseld
WASHINGTON — The Rockets’ game against the Wizards on Wednesday offered a reunion of longtime friends, Rockets coach Stephen Silas and the Wizards’
Wes Unseld Jr., the first in the regular season since Unseld because the Wizards coach.
“Stephen and I have been close for years,” Unseld said. “Our fathers were competitors as players and they were friends. Obviously, when the ball goes up, that friendship is on pause for 48 minutes. But that doesn’t change. I think he’s doing a terrific job. I pull for guys like that.
“When he got the job (becoming Rockets coach before the 2020-21 season,) I reached out immediately and we stayed connected. He did the same when I was able to get the job here. Also, picking each other’s brain on best practices, what you like and don’t like, some of the hurdles you go through as first-time head coaches, all those things. Those relationships and the level of communication have been ongoing for years as assistants making our way through this business.”
Silas said he and Unseld have spoken “four or five times” this season. For Silas, the matchup and trip to Washington also brought back memories from when their fathers battled in the 1978 and 1979 NBA Finals between the Seattle SuperSonics and Washington Bullets.
“We’ve always been connected in one way or the other, whether it’s our dads battling here in ’78 and ’79 or when Wes
(Unseld Sr.) hired me (as a scout) here,” Silas said. “We talked a lot about our paths, getting to where we are now.
“It’s great to have someone you have a really good relationship with, that you’re so happy for and proud of to get his opportunity. We lean on each other quite a bit.”
Silas was just 5 and 6 years old when his father Paul Silas played in the NBA Finals, but he did have memories of the championship season.
“I remember the one the Sonics won, which was ’79,” Silas said. “I remember those teams, Wes Unseld and Bobby Dandridge, Elvin Hayes and Kevin Grevey, Charles Johnson, all those guys. Greg Ballard. Growing up, they were the nemesis because it was back-to-back years they played in the Finals.
“I remember my dad had a party at our house. I was downstairs. It was all the players. Gus Williams, Dennis Johnson, Freddie Brown, my dad, Jack Sikma. They were like, we got to get them this time.
“I remember going to the Kingdome and it was so loud. Everybody was so excited.”
Jazz to add House on 10-day contract
Forward Danuel House Jr., who was waived by the Rockets last month, will soon be back in the NBA. House will sign a 10-day contract with the Utah Jazz, The Athletic reported.
House, a product of Sharpstown and Hightower High Schools who played at the University of Houston and Texas A&M, spent four seasons with the Rockets.
The Rockets waived him to open a roster spot to sign Garrison Mathews to a standard NBA contract and allow House a chance to find a spot with a team that might have a larger role for him in the final season of his contract.
House averaged 4.8 points per game this season in 16 games before going out with a sprained right ankle.