NBA champion Paul Silas dies at 79

Paul Silas, 79, a member of three NBA championship teams as a player and LeBron James’ first coach in the league, has died, his family announced Sunday.

The family revealed the death through the Houston Rockets, for whom Silas’ son, Stephen, is a second-generation head coach. No official cause of his death has been announced.

“Our heartfelt thoughts are with Stephen and his family during this difficult time,” the @HoustonRockets said in a statement.

“Paul made a huge contribution to the game of basketball and will be sorely missed!” Hall of Fame guard and Los Angeles Lakers great @MagicJohnson wrote on Twitter.