Jazz owner Larry H. Miller dead at age 64

Larry H. Miller, the longtime owner of the Utah Jazz, died Friday night due to complications from Type 2 diabetes.  He was 64.  Miller had undergone a double amputation of his legs below the knee in late January and the prognosis was initially good for his recovery.  After the surgery, however, Miller failed to respond and doctors discovered that he had a rare complication that prevented oxygen from reaching tissue throughout this body.  In other words, instead of healing after his amputation his body continued to deteriorate and his condition was soon determined to be terminal.

A college dropout, Miller parlayed his interest in cars and tireless work ethic into an automotive dealership empire spanning the West.  He bought a 50% stake in the then hapless Utah Jazz with the team on the verge of a move to Miami.  He purchased the rest of the team a year later, and under his ownership the Jazz were transformed from a laughingstock to an NBA powerhouse.  In the first two years of Miller’s ownership the Jazz drafted future Hall of Famers John Stockton and Karl Malone, and the course of basketball history in the Beehive State was changed forever.

When he purchased the team, the Jazz struggled to fill the 10,858 seat Salt Palace Arena—the NBA’s smallest.  In the early 1990’s, Miller was instrumental in the construction of a new 19,000 seat facility (at the time known as the Delta Center, now the Energy Solutions Arena) that would be filled to capacity as the Jazz rose to NBA elite status. 

With the success of the Jazz, Miller diversified his business interests into broadcasting, advertising and a number of ancillary fields.  He also built an auto race facility in the Salt Lake valley in hopes of bringing top level racing to Utah.  He was heavily involved in charitable activities and unselfish in his willingness to mentor and assist other local businessmen.    Utah Governor Jon Huntsman summed up Miller’s contribution to the state:

"Every citizen in our state feels a little empty today. Larry was Utah and Utah was Larry. He inspired many and served countless. We all have been made better by his extraordinary life."

John Stockton had these words of praise for Miller:

"Personally, I have lost a valuable friend. Larry has been such a remarkable individual. He is someone we will all miss."

Miller wasn’t a meddlesome owner—primarily due to his confidence in coaching fixture Jerry Sloan—but he was definitely a passionate owner who wasn’t above a good old fashioned locker room tirade when things weren’t going well.