Brace yourselves, Jazz fans. I’m about to apolgize to you twice in one day.
I owe Utah fans an apology. I meant to write this this weekend, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get across what I wanted. So I’m sorry this wasn’t out sooner.
Larry Miller died this weekend from complications of a disease that someone you know probably has. He left behind children, grandchildren, friends, business partners, and a legacy of entrepreneurial success and good deeds. He was known, respected, and loved in his community, and in the realm of NBA ownership, the man was a giant. He helped take a team that already had a storied legacy, and forever cement them in a small market as a staple of the NBA culture.
This is the area that I feel strongest about. As a staunch defender of the idea that small markets in this country deserve and can support NBA franchises, not just major media markets and places that provide financial support for every other professional team but the NBA one, Miller was the kind of man with vision that I have no choice but to admire. He helped a team become a part of a community, and proved that fans are made of more than how many jerseys they buy. He held a vision for that team and he was a part of it. He wasn’t just some dude in a box upstairs, he was a vital part of the culture of that team, and he impacted the lives of those players and the entire team. He stuck by Jerry Sloan because he knew Sloan was a good coach who conducted business with class and respect. How rare is that in this day and age? And to do this in a place that isn’t the most profitable? That’s the kind of leadership we need more of in sports business.
I can’t lie to you. I would bet that Larry Miller and I would have disagreed on 90% of our political opinions. Social values. Civil rights. Freedom of speech. But from the way Deron Williams embraced his widow after the Hornets game, I have a hard time imagining I would’ve walked away unaffected by the man.
Cheers, Mr. Miller.
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I agree. It’s easy to find things to disagree with people on, but within the constraints of the NBA, and the purity of the game — he was a fan of the pro game first, and owner second. I’m sure he and I would have disagreed on many things as well, and I’ve been a jazz fan since the mid 80′s. One thing that we could agree on would be the game. Sloan was even quoted as saying that he knew more about the game than he did. Miller was influential in the lockout shortened year and helped to get the owners and players to work things out. He was a utah guy, obviously, but let’s not forget that he was an NBA guy as well.