Rockets hire former Warriors assistant Stephen Silas as head coach

After four years with Mike D’Antoni at the helm, the Houston Rockets are moving on to a new head coach. D’Antoni announced his departure shortly after the Rockets were eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Semifinals, and Houston took their time filling the position since general manager Daryl Morey also stepped down.

But on Wednesday the Rockets — a team the Golden State Warriors eliminated four times during their five-year run atop the West — reportedly decided on a new head coach, and he has Warriors ties. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Rockets are finalizing a deal with former Warriors assistant coach Stephen Silas.

This is Silas’ first chance at being a head coach, though he’s been an NBA assistant for 19 years. That included a sizable stint with the Warriors.

Silas first joined the Warriors bench in 2006-07, when he was part of Don Nelson’s staff for the We Believe Dubs. He was still on the Warriors bench in 2009-10, when he helped develop a rookie by the name of Stephen Curry. Perhaps you’ve heard of him.

He eventually left in the middle of the 2010-11 season, after his father, Paul Silas, took a head coaching position with the Charlotte Bobcats, and offered his son the lead assistant role. He stayed in Charlotte long after his father departed, but joined the Dallas Mavericks staff for the 2018-19 season, where he spent two years.

He may be a long time removed from the Warriors, but he’s still a part of their story and history, which means we have some pictures to look at.

Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images

Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images

Excellent.

Best of luck to Silas ... except when facing the Warriors, of course.