Talk about going full circle. Some of the most creative, intelligent, smart people I know are people Ive met in jail, because theres all this talent and all this ability that I think is being wasted inside the jails.. The newspaper reported that police arrested him soon after the shooting, near where it occurred; Miller tossed his .38 when he saw them coming, but they quickly recovered it. The first, as a drunk and angry . Once it kind of set in, I was like, Oh, shit, what have I done? It took years for me to understand the real impact of what I had done.. I had an offer here all ready to give to you, the partner said, according to Miller. The signed notes from Michael Jordan. . Larry Miller, Chairman of Jordan Brands, in west Philadelphia. As a teen, Jordan Brand chairman Larry Miller shot and killed a man. After joining Jantzen, Inc., where he held the positions of President, Executive Vice President, and Controller, Miller was able to flourish in his corporate competence. While in prison, he studied for an accounting degree at Temple University.[9]. Earlier that month, a younger friendsomeone he considered an innocenthad been stabbed and killed during a fight with the 53rd and Pine gang. "I didn't value my own life.". He served prison time for the crime, and expressed deep regret in his interview with Sports Illustrated, saying that the shooting "was for no reason at all. Larry Miller, who served as the president of the Jordan brand between 1997 and 2006, revealed a long-held secret in his new memoir: he once murdered a man. But it haunted him, anyway. A deeper search by SI discovered a single newspaper clip, from the Philadelphia Daily News and dated Oct. 2, 1965, headlined, Youth, 16, Admits Slaying of Rival Gang Member. The second paragraph refers to the suspect as Larry Miller, of Catharine st. near 57th, a member of the 56th st. and Cedar ave gang. It identifies the victim as White, who was found lying on the street at 53d and Locust sts, and was pronounced dead on arrival at a local hospital. As the chairman of Jordan Brand and former president of the Portland Trailblazers, Miller climbed to the highest peaks of sneakers and sports, all while hiding that he murdered someone in 1965 . In the year 1997, he was appointed as the General Manager and Vice President of Nike Basketball. When an invitation arrived to attend a dinner with the Clintons, during Bill Clintons presidency, Miller initially hedged, fearing the background check. It helped that theres very little in the public record revealing Millers past. Preserving the secret allowed Miller to build a successful career with companies like Campbell Soup, Kraft Foods and the Trail Blazers, where he served as team president from 2007 to 12, between stints with Nike and Jordan Brand, where he now holds the role of chairman. His relatives expressed a feeling of being blindsided to The New York Times, which told Mr. Whites story in November. Daniel Gilbert ( Net Worth - $44.8 Billion) Team - Cleveland Cavaliers. We were all drunk, Miller said during a 90-minute interview. Theres no sign of Millers troubled past, however, which he kept from Nike and NBA officials until just the last few months, confiding in Silver and Jordan that he gunned down an 18-year-old in Philadelphia when he was just 16. Barbara Mack hugged Larry Miller after he apologized for killing her brother, Edward David White. Although his exact birthdate is still a mystery, it is known that he is 72 years old right now. Michael Blackson Ex Girlfriend: The Woman Behind the Comedian! Publish date: Oct 13, 2021. His real date of birth is still unknown but it is known that he is currently 72 years old. Likewise, he served as a Manager at Kraft Foods. He works with groups like the Vera Institute of Justice to throw a lifeline to inmates who seek opportunity. And that's the part that really bothers me.". He believed that knowledge was the key to his release while he was still incarcerated. Jordan Brand chairman Larry Miller shot and killed a teenager in 1965. Prior to . I hope his experience can create a healthy discourse around criminal justice reform, by helping remove the stigma that holds people and communities back., With his lifelong secret now revealed, Miller said the anxiety-induced nightmares and migraines he endured amid fears of his past coming back to haunt him are no more calling it a real freeing exercise., Its freed me, Miller told SI. Ex-Portland Trail Blazers president and current Jordan Brand chairman Larry Miller is sharing his darkest secret with the world . Leah Pruett Net Worth: How She Made Her Career in Racing? In 1965, west Philadelphia was a hotbed for gangs and battles over territories often erupting and ending in death. He is the chairman of Nike's Jordan Brand, supposedly the sneaker giant's most successful brand . Larry Miller Net Worth. Millers story is an example of the human spirits resilience, perseverance, and strength, according to CEO John Donahoe, In the review, it states Millers book is a passionate appeal for criminal justice reform and expanded educational opportunities for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people across the United States.. "I think education is a key, But I think the real key is also changing the perception of yourself," Miller said. So I just kind of felt it was our duty to share it, to share that inspiration, to share the possibilities with other people., At times, the process got so intense that one or both of them would have to step away. Its freed me, he says. The Nike Air Jordan brand share continues to increase by 17% per year. He stated, At that point, I decided that I wasnt going to share this anymore. After Whites family learned about the incident from a newspaper article, he made the decision to beg for forgiveness. He kept it a secret for decades, he told Sports Illustrated. Your email address will not be published. Ahead of his forthcoming autobiography Jump: My Secret Journey From the Streets to the Boardroom, which was co-written by his daughter Laila Lacy, the Nike executive disclosed in an interview with Sports Illustrated a secret that he has been keeping to himself for decades. Even as he ran an NBA franchise and then oversaw the transformation of the Jordan Brand, nearly doubling its revenue during his tenure, he kept it from Jordan, Nike founder Phil Knight and NBA executives. 3.5K. On the other hand, his brother Michael has accumulated a huge amount of net worth around $1.9 billion as of 2022 with a massive salary. All Rights Reserved. The Portland Trail Blazers then appointed him as its president. He even shielded his three children and his stepson from the full story. At the age of 20, Miller pled guilty to second-degree murder and served less than five years for the crime, though he was arrested shortly after his release for crimes unrelated to the murder. ABC. He previously held the position of team president for the Portland Trail Brazers, a professional basketball team. Of a September evening in 1965, when Miller, just 16 years old, stood at the corner of 53rd and Locust streets in West Philadelphia, and fired a .38-caliber gun into the chest of another teenager, killing him on the spot. Revealing his past to longtime friends, and particularly Jordan, generated its own sort of anxiety. 10/13/2021 12:06 PM PT. Larry subsequently attended the Urban League Leadership Institute and came out with a graduation degree in 1987. When he was hired at Campbells, the application asked only whether he had been arrested or convicted of a crime in the last five yearsa technicality that let him breathe a sigh of relief. He is also working as one of the board of directors of the Oregon Business Council, Self Enhancement Inc. (SEI), and Oregon Sports Authority. This is particularly true of Jordan Brand chairman Larry Miller, whose reveal of a secret he'd held for 56 years is a powerful lesson in judgment and redemption. "CBS Mornings" inteviews Larry Miller on the murder. Beyond his own quest for forgiveness, Mr. Miller said he hoped that the book would change peoples views of the formerly incarcerated and that it would be a positive influence on people who are in jail or thinking about committing a crime. 6 How Does Larry Jordan look like? I was scared to death, he says. He also has overseen the development of the Jordan Brands social-impact platform, known as Wings. Additionally, he serves on the boards of the Oregon Sports Authority, Self Enhancement Inc. (SEI), and the Oregon Business Council. On another occasion, Miller learned that an old neighborhood frienda reformed gang member who had since gone into law enforcementhad been bragging to a mutual acquaintance at Nike about Millers incredible rise from the streets. Biden Had Cancerous Tissue Removed: Doctors Confirm No Further Treatment Needed. "If I could go back and undo it, I would absolutely do that," he told Sports Illustrated. A Nike executive and former Portland Trail Blazers president has admitted killing a teen more than 50 years ago a secret he kept from powerful friends like Michael Jordan and NBA commissioner Adam Silver. She added that learning details about the crime was especially harrowing, because she's a mother herself. He said his message is that the circumstances that you come from do not define who you are. Getty. Well, the answer was no, because it had been longer than five years," Miller said. Hiding the past came with another cost: robbing Miller of the chance to share his most valuable life experiences with at-risk youth. The leading entertainment news publicationLeedaily. July 13, 2022 July 13, 2022 by networthcare. Millers Nike office is filled with mementos, including personal notes from Jordan and a picture with Ali. Aurelien Meunier - PSG/PSG via Getty Images. But Millers past came back to haunt him when he later interviewed at accounting firm Arthur Andersen, where he shared the 1965 slaying with the firms hiring partner. Miller lives in Portland, Oregon and also serves on the board of directors for Self Enhancement Inc. ("SEI"), the Oregon Business Council, Oregon Sports Authority, is a member of the Portland Mayor's Economic Development Cabinet, the NBA's Team Advisory Committee, and the NBA's Labor Relations Committee. He spoke of the shock and pain of only recently learning the details of his fathers murder and of having to grieve for the first time for a death that happened when he was a toddler. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. He had served 4 and half years in juvenile detention after pleading guilty to second-degree murder. Fort Worth Star-Telegram 'He was so strong with God.' Everman football player paralyzed in state championship has died Nike Jordan CEO Larry Miller. Just as critically, Miller hopes his evolution can provide hope to others whose lives have taken a dark turn. Nevertheless, he was eventually granted the chance to work as an Assistant Controller at Philadelphia Newspapers, Inc. A Nike Executive Seeks a Family's Forgiveness for a 1965 Murder. She recalls visiting her father in prison during her childhood, though she didnt know all the details. He did not know the victim, identified in the news then as 18-year-old Edward White. Larry earned his GED while serving in prison. In 1982, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in accounting from Temple University. He said the higher he climbed professionally, the more he was plagued by severe migraines due to stress that stemmed from the past. Larry Miller is reportedly a married man. Miller served as President, Executive Vice President and Controller for Jantzen, Inc. and was a Manager for Kraft Foods, Assistant Controller at Philadelphia Newspapers, Inc. and held various positions with Campbell Soup Company. Larry Millers exact net worth is not available at the moment. Ezra Miller Net Worth 2023: How Rich is the American Singer? Larry Miller has been a top executive in sports and athletic wear for decades. He said he chose not to disclose his homicide conviction during job interviews. Sometimes it even would make me question, Is this really something that we need to do? Lacy says. Over the couch is the Jordan Wings poster. Miller would go on to take over Nike's Jordan Brand and help build it into a $5 billion empire. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. After his daughter Laila Lacy assisted him in writing the book Jump: My Secret Journey From the Streets to the Boardroom, we learned about his marital status. The charts on this page feature a breakdown of the total annual pay for the top executives at NIKE, Inc. as reported in their proxy statements. No one knew that I was carrying the secret around, and the ability to share the story and really get it out has definitely freed me a lot, Miller has stated publicly. That somebody would tap me on the shoulder and say, Hey, arent you ? Or, Didnt you? And then everything would just kind of come crashing down, Miller says. The chairman of Nike's Jordan brand told Sports Illustrated he murdered an 18-year-old in 1965. Revealing his past now, Miller says, will free him to discuss his experiences with at-risk youth and people in prison, and perhaps help steer others away from violence and toward a productive life. When Miller was a 16-year-old gang member in West . In an interview on Monday, Mr. Miller declined to describe the meeting in detail, saying that he wanted to let the family share their perspective first. According to reports, Larry Miller is married. Miller has held a variety of jobs with Campbell Soup Company, a manufacturer of food and snacks. It just more and more makes me feel sorry about what I did.. In 1999, he was made a President of Jordan Brand, and until 2006, he served the position. His real date of birth is still unknown but it is known that he is currently 72 years old. He was earlier rejected from a job offer when he was searching for a significant corporate job to kick start his professional career. He is the chairman of Nikes Jordan Brand, supposedly the sneaker giants most successful brand, that posted more than $4.7 billion in revenue in 2021. Mrs. Mack, who is 84, said she told Mr. Miller that she forgave him for the murder, that if I didnt forgive him, God wouldnt forgive me.. Miller said his activity with gangs came to a head on Sept. 30, 1965. October 13, 2021. He's always been an inspiration to me and to all of us in our family, she says. . For the basketball team owner of the Utah Jazz, see, "Trail Blazers Name Larry Miller President", "Green Sports Alliance launched by professional teams", "Nike Jordan boss reveals he murdered an 18-year-old on September 30th 1965", "A Nike Executive Told of Once Killing a Man. "It feels a little strange, it feels like, almost kind of coming full circle," Miller said. Though Miller was able to earn a degree and seemed somewhat positive about his future, his past tended to get in the way. Rachel Fuda Before Plastic Surgery: Did She Change Her Face? She and husband Larry (d. 2009 . Miller's victim was 18-year-old Edward David White, who had an 8-month-old son and a daughter on the way at the time. BLACK ENTERPRISE is the premier business, investing, and wealth-building resource for African Americans. He called the meeting full circle, saying that over the years he had worked to forgive himself, and that he believed he had done good for his community and that God had forgiven him. Thats what makes it even more difficult for me, because it was for no reason at all, Miller says. But she said she also told him, If I was 30 years younger, I would have been across that table at you.. Her mother had planned to marry Mr. White, Mrs. Arline said, but was instead left with two young children, struggling to make ends meet. We came to know about his marital status after his daughter named Laila Lacy helped him to write the book titled Jump: My Secret Journey From the Streets to the Boardroom. Once it kind of set in, I was like, 'Oh, shit, what have I done?' He was constantly in the spotlightstanding alongside Jordan, sitting courtside with Blazers owner Paul Allen, attending All-Star Games and NBA galasand living in constant fear that someone would uncover his past. In a family photo from 1965, Edward White poses with his son, Hasan, and Hasans mother, Josaphine Hobbs. Because for 40 years, I ran from this. He also held the position of Manager at Kraft Foods. And now for the possibility of Mr. Whites family also forgiving me, I think that kind of completes the circle for me, Mr. Miller said. Nike Jordan Brand Chairman Larry Miller reveals the dark secret he hid even from Michael . Check out some of the most recent trending articles: American soil is where Larry Miller was born. A second meeting last week included preliminary discussions about Mr. Miller establishing a scholarship foundation in Mr. Whites name, funded in perpetuity, that would assist his descendants and perhaps others in attending college or trade school, according to the family and their lawyer, Ronald L. Marrero. And inscribed on the back wallover the signed boxing gloves of Ali and Roy Jones Jr. and an autographed photo of Tommie Smith and John Carlos, and below a green Do the Right Thing street sign (a gift from Spike Lee)is one of Jordans most famous quotes: Ive failed over and over again in my lifeand that is why I succeed.. At the time, Miller said he embraced the power he felt that came with street life. In an interview you will see first on "CBS Mornin. Rajat Tokas (Actor) Biography, Age, Wife, Children, Family, Facts, Caste, Wiki & More, Martin Shkreli Net Worth 2022, Personal Life, Career Achievements. Offers may be subject to change without notice. The mementos lining Larry Millers office suggest a life of comfort and privilege, of celebrated achievements and celebrity friendships. For the last several months, Miller has been gradually informing people in his inner circleincluding Jordan, Knight, NBA commissioner Adam Silver and several Nike executives, including Hall of Fame coach George Raveling, another close mentorto ensure they would hear it from him first. In 2006, he left to become president of the Trail Blazers. But Lacy, his oldest, had lived through much of it. Alli Webb Net Worth: How Rich is the Founder of Drybar Actually? Management Guns were rare back then, but Miller had previously acquired a .38 from his girlfriend. Miller was 16 and part of a gang in West Philadelphia when he shot Edward White, he said. "I was definitely nervous about sharing with him, just because I have so much respect and love for MJ," he said of telling the NBA legend. But for the first time in his life, he is ready to present both versions of himself to friends and peers and the public at large, with the hope that others can follow his path. "And I think at the end of the day, you have to realize and believe that you can do something different with your life.". Since 1970, BLACK ENTERPRISE has provided essential business information and advice to professionals, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, and decision makers. He focused, instead, on the night of Sept. 30, 1965. He had been in juvenile detention for four and a half years after pleading guilty to second-degree murder. "I didn't lie or hide it. He said he was able to do it by taking ownership of himself and valuing his own life. He eventually relented, sending in his Social Security number and birthdate and throwing his fate to the winds.