The chairman of Jordan Brand, Larry Miller, has recently admitted to murdering a man when he was 16. Miller revealed that he was incarcerated for the crime, and he’s been living with his secret for 56 years.
When speaking to Howard Beck of Sports Illustrated, Miller stated that there was “no valid reason” for his actions. He also stated that he still thinks about the murder “every day”.
I mean, there was no valid reason for this to happen. And that’s the thing that I really struggle with and that’s—you know, it’s the thing that I think about every day. It’s like, I did this, and to someone who—it was no reason to do it. And that’s the part that really bothers me.
According to an article by People.com, the event happened on Sept. 30, 1965. Miller and other people in his gang “went out looking for retribution” after one of their members was murdered during a fight with another gang.
As a 16-year-old in 1965, Miller shot an 18-year-old man. 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.”
The shooting occurred on Sept. 30, 1965, when Miller and other members of West Philadelphia’s Cedar Avenue gang went out looking for retribution after one of their own had been killed in a fight by the 53rd and Pine gang.
Miller shot the first person he and his fellow gang members came across, an 18-year-old later identified as Edward White.
In the Sports Illustrated article, Miller revealed that he and his fellow gang members were drunk, and stated that he “was in a haze” during the event. He also added that if he were able to undo his actions, he would “absolutely” do so.
We were all drunk. I was in a haze. 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.
If I could go back and undo it, I would absolutely do that. I can’t. So all I can do is try to do what I can to help other people and try to maybe prevent this from happening to someone else.
It seems as though Michael Jordan himself does know about the situation, and Miller described himself feeling “nervous” prior to sharing it with Jordan due to his “respect and love” for the legend.
I was definitely nervous about sharing with him, just because I have so much respect and love for MJ
This is a huge development, and an unexpected one. But it seems as though this has been eating at Miller for a while, and making a confession about one’s wrongdoings can definitely feel liberating.
It’s clear that Jordan is one of the most recognizable brands in the world, and Miller certainly had a hand in making it a success. There is likely more to this story, but what’s clear from his statements is that there’s a lot of regret on Miller’s part. Larry Miller wanted to share his story to “prevent” the same thing from happening to others, and hopefully, it’ll have the desired effect.
