He is too classy to admit to it for the record. But Silas did not have a warm and fuzzy relationship with Riles when he was an assistant coach in New York from 1989 to 1992. And it has been rumored for years that when Silas left the Knicks, he didn't get anything approaching a strong recommendation from Riley. To the contrary, word was that Riley questioned Silas' work ethic. And that that was a factor in Silas not getting more than perfunctory interviews for head coaching jobs.
Life is too short to be dwelling on negatives.
I'm just glad that the opportunity presented itself. For the first three months of this season, the Hornets had the league's best record. David Wesley 's performance tailed off noticeably, and the Hornets seemed to sag whenever Derrick Coleman was anywhere within shouting distance. Rumblings began about Silas' future, with Mike Fratello's ubiquitous name coming up. To add to all the drama, the team's owners were begging for a new arena and threatening to bolt town if they didn't get one.