Larry H. Miller, one of the great NBA franchise owners and stand up guy in the community, died Friday from complications with type two diabetes. Larry will be remember in the NBA world for years to come and will be a role model for what integrity and honor stands for.
Larry Miller, in my eyes, will be known for him establishing the Utah Jazz as a premier powerhouse in the NBA and producing two championship runs, both ending in defeat to the great Mr. Air himself. He brought big name superstars like Karl Malone, John Stockton, Jeff Hornacek, and current superstar Deron Williams. He was also known to me by hiring one of the greatest coaches of all time in Jerry Sloan. Jerry has took the Jazz to two championships and to the playoffs all but two years he has been coaching.
Larry was also an amazing business man too. He purchased a Toyota dealership in the Salt Lake City suburb of Murray, Utah. It opened on May 1, 1979 as Larry H. Miller Toyota. In October 1981, Miller bought out his uncle's share in the business. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, he acquired a number of automobile dealerships in Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico, creating the Larry H. Miller Automotive Group. In 2007, Selling Power listed him as the tenth largest U.S. automotive dealer, with forty-two dealerships and sales of $2,327,000,000. After a failed attempt to start a television outlet on the last remaining VHF frequency in the Utah market, Miller purchased Salt Lake City independent station KXIV in February 1993. He later changed the call letters to KJZZ-TV as a reference to the Jazz. Miller also owned the Larry H. Miller Megaplex, Prestige Financial, Miller Motor-sports Park (opened in 2006), Fanzz (a chain of sports clothing & memorabilia outlets), and the successful Jordan Commons cinema/restaurant complexes along the Wasatch Front. There are 5 Megaplex Theaters located in shopping centers along the Wasatch Front; the Gateway Mall in downtown Salt Lake City, at the aforementioned Jordan Commons in Sandy, at The District in South Jordan, at The Junction in Ogden, and at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi. Together the theaters total 70 screens.
So let us raise up our glasses to a NBA owner, business man, and most importantly, a stand up guy. I think I speak for a multitude of people when I say, thank you Larry Miller, rest in piece.
