Death may be an inevitable part of life, but processing grief never gets easier at any point. Losing a loved one hurts, no matter the circumstances and no matter how prepared someone thinks they are. One can only imagine the heavy feeling in Houston Rockets head coach Stephen Silas' heart after his father, the legendary Paul Silas, passed away at the age of 79.
But if there's anyone who can empathize with Silas' loss, it's Monty Williams, who experienced devastating anguish six years ago after his wife, Ingrid, unfortunately passed in a car crash.
Following the Phoenix Suns' heavy 111-97 defeat to the Rockets that really doesn't matter much in the grand scheme of things, Williams and Silas shared a warm, lengthy embrace that's sure to tug on the heart strings of anyone going through feelings of grief.
Monty Williams and Stephen Silas shared a hug after the Rockets' victory. ❤️
Tonight was Silas' first game back since the death of his father Paul Silas over the weekend.pic.twitter.com/xM4HTd35Pb
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) December 14, 2022
Stephen Silas took a one-game leave of absence from the team to mourn his father's death, causing him to justifiably miss the Rockets' Sunday night game vs. the Milwaukee Bucks. (In fact, Silas could have missed more games and no one would have batted an eye.) He then returned to coach the Rockets to yet another victory over a contending team, an admirable feat given his circumstances.
Prior to tip-off, Silas was in tears, understandable due to how recent his father's passing is.
Back in 2016, Monty Williams experienced a fate no one deserves. He lost his wife after she collided head-on with a vehicle driven by a person under the influence of drugs. Back then, Williams didn't know what to do, and he was in shambles, emotionally. And who wouldn't be? Williams and his wife were together for 26 years at the time.
Williams' life triumphs amid the grief he's had to go through make him such a worthy role model to emulate, especially given the empathy he's been known to give others. Back in 2013, when he was still the head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans, Williams consoled Ryan Anderson when Anderson's then-girlfriend tragically passed away.
In the immediate aftermath, it was Monty Williams who came rushing to Ryan Anderson's aid, giving his player a shoulder to cry on, a person to make someone feel less alone during their lowest point.
At the end of the day, grief may be inevitable, and the light at the end of its tunnel may be difficult to see, but no one should ever go through these situations on their own. And at least for a brief moment, Stephen Silas and Monty Williams know that they have each other's backs as they navigate through life's difficulties.
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