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Author Topic: Jazz Owner Larry Miller Dies  (Read 3030 times)

Offline Ted

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Jazz Owner Larry Miller Dies
« on: February 20, 2009, 10:36:09 PM »
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3922880

Miller may have been Utah's leading figure in business, sports, and philanthropy. Not always popular or disciplined with the media; but you can't deny what he accomplished with the Jazz.

I was priveleged to know him a little for three months in a entrepreneurship class at BYU. He was a good guy. Couldn't say much more, but as a Jazz fan, I'm grateful to him for building the kind of franchise he did.
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Offline WayOutWest

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Re: Jazz Owner Larry Miller Dies
« Reply #1 on: February 20, 2009, 10:45:06 PM »
Was he the type of guy where you think "how are we going on without him"?  I remember feeling that way about Jerry West and to a certain extent, Chick Herns. 
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Offline Ted

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Re: Jazz Owner Larry Miller Dies
« Reply #2 on: February 20, 2009, 10:58:43 PM »
Yeah, you could say that. I'd put it on a completely different plane, if that makes sense. LA is a completely different dimension, and the Lakers franchise is in another realm. West and Hearn (especially West) were iconic to the league. Everybody knew who West was and what he meant to LA and the league; I mean, he's the freakin' logo. Hearn was the gold standard for play-by-play announcers.

For Utah, Larry Miller has to be that gold standard. Larry Miller is Utah, and even though we had Karl and John together for 18 years, Larry is the Utah Jazz. Jerry Sloan is what we know him as now because Larry Miller was loyal and stable. I remember Larry talking about the principle "where much is given much is required." In class he once said that he felt that the community was his to take care of. At first that struck me as odd and arrogant; but I think he really believed that was one reason he had been blessed with the kind of success he'd enjoyed. His wife actually reiterated that tonight in her family's news conference, which I found myself watching from beginning to end just now. Strange.

Anyway WoW, I think I get what you're talking about with West and Hearn. They represented something you could be proud of.
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Offline WayOutWest

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Re: Jazz Owner Larry Miller Dies
« Reply #3 on: February 21, 2009, 01:36:07 AM »
Quote from: Ted on February 20, 2009, 10:58:43 PM
Anyway WoW, I think I get what you're talking about with West and Hearn. They represented something you could be proud of.

Exactly but being such a "cornerstone" for the franchise causes MAJOR doubt about it's stability once that cornerstone is gone. 

It's amazing how Miller never made himself the focus of the franchise like so many other GM's do, for good or bad.  My earliest memories of the Jazz was Frank Layden.  That guy was so funny, then Stockton and Malone became the face of the franchise with Sloan being the steady rudder.
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Offline rickortreat

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Re: Jazz Owner Larry Miller Dies
« Reply #4 on: February 21, 2009, 11:28:11 AM »
As long as they have Sloan there and their player personnel people, then the Jazz can still have a bright future.  Is there any news about any possible changes in ownership?

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Offline westkoast

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Re: Jazz Owner Larry Miller Dies
« Reply #5 on: February 21, 2009, 06:30:03 PM »
Wow that is horrible news.  Much like Jerry Sloan, Larry Miller's attitude and approach to doing his job shaped the Jazz into a quality franchise.   Obviously the team wouldn't be as classy and well loved by it's fans if it wasn't for him.  Not all owners are good owners but I believe Larry Miller was.

I am assuming the family is still in control of the franchise but did he have someone under him who was to be a successor?  Or someone who has been waiting in the wings anyways?
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Offline Skandery

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Re: Jazz Owner Larry Miller Dies
« Reply #6 on: February 22, 2009, 03:02:44 PM »
Larry Miller had the quality just about any high-profile owner lacks and that was patience.  The Utah Jazz have been one of the most stable franchises in sports history.  When 2 cornerstone players can lead the team for 18 seasons, that says someting.  Even more astounding in today's show-me-the-money, free agent culture.  Or when a coach is allowed to do his thing for 21 seasons, in an era when some teams can't wait past half-a-season to get rid of a coach. 

A tiny market like the Utah Jazz works as well as it did because an owner like Larry Miller understands the value of stability and trust.  Finding talented and hard-working basketball people (notice I didn't say basketball legends) and trusting them to make sure the team works.  Larry Miller knew the difference between hiring Kevin O'Connor and hiring Isiah Thomas/Michael Jordan to run a team.  Although he couldn't afford to be a wild spender, he never shamelessly went the cheap route.  You could argue he had an eye for genuine talent.  Foregoing huge extensions for players like Shandan Anderson and Sasha Pavlovic yet accepted giving a little-known Detroit bench-warmer from Turkey a sizeable contract.  Then he sat back and for the most part let others take credit for the team success; which was all that mattered to him.  Miller is a rarity in today's professional sports landscape and for anyone who roots for the Jazz, you can't help but wonder how things will go now.  You would hope since his son, Greg Miller, is taking the reigns; the Utah legacy will continue.       
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Offline jn

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Re: Jazz Owner Larry Miller Dies
« Reply #7 on: February 22, 2009, 10:21:52 PM »
Very sorry to hear it.   I wholeheartedly agree with what has been said here about Miller's talents as an owner.
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Offline SPURSX3

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Re: Jazz Owner Larry Miller Dies
« Reply #8 on: February 23, 2009, 09:56:34 AM »
Sorry to hear he passed.  Very sad time for Utah and all fans of the team.
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Offline Ted

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Re: Jazz Owner Larry Miller Dies
« Reply #9 on: February 23, 2009, 10:18:59 AM »
I watched a tribute about him last night. On Saturday DWill took the game ball over to Gail and gave her a hug and shook his grandson's hand. Larry and Gail have basically been raising their daughter's son for the last 10 years. Nice gesture on Deron's part.

They showed a clip of Sloan talking about what he'll miss about his boss and he actually teared up about it. That kind of surprised me. I wonder how many NBA head coaches would react that way if their owner died.
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Offline westkoast

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Re: Jazz Owner Larry Miller Dies
« Reply #10 on: February 23, 2009, 11:02:07 AM »
Quote from: Ted on February 23, 2009, 10:18:59 AM


They showed a clip of Sloan talking about what he'll miss about his boss and he actually teared up about it. That kind of surprised me. I wonder how many NBA head coaches would react that way if their owner died.

Besides Jerry Sloan, Popavich is the only other coach who has that long of a relationship with the franchise/owner who is active in the NBA.
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