Larry H. Miller
From Hoopedia
The 2006-07 National Basketball Association season marks Miller’s 22nd year as owner of the Utah Jazz, a franchise that has grown considerably and become a winner both on and off the court under his ownership. Miller’s success as owner of the Jazz is just one chapter in his amazing saga of business achievement and community involvement. Miller purchased a 50 percent interest in the team from then owner Sam Battistone on April 11, 1985; then, on June 24, 1986, Miller bought the remaining 50 percent of the franchise.
His unwavering personal commitment to professional sports in Salt Lake City has created the foundation for a strong franchise in one of the league’s smallest markets and has been rewarded with achievements such as consecutive trips to the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998 and hosting the NBA All-Star game in 1993.
A native of Salt Lake City, Miller is the owner of the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies, whose primary business is a network of automobile dealerships spanning the Rocky Mountain West. His career in the automotive industry grew from roots in the parts business in both Salt Lake City and Denver before he purchased his first dealership in 1979.
Miller entered the sports industry with his purchase of the Utah Jazz in 1985. In 1993, he added to his Sports & Entertainment Group of Companies with the purchase of a Salt Lake independent television station, KJZZ-TV. In 1999, he entered the movie theater and restaurant business, developing the Jordan Commons complex in Sandy, Utah; and in 2001, he agreed to manage the Gateway Theatre complex in downtown Salt Lake City. Miller added to his theater business in the fall of 2004 when he took over the movie complex at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah.
In March 2003, Miller opened the Zions Bank Basketball Center, a premier basketball training and practice facility located in Salt Lake City. The main feature of the Center is two full-size NBA courts, totaling 22,200 square feet of court.
His commitment to sports in Utah also led him to purchase the Salt Lake Bees (then the Salt Lake Stingers) in February, 2005. The Bees are the AAA-affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Under his leadership, the team quickly rose to the top of the Pacific Coast League, both in standings and overall franchise success. The Bees and Angels recently extended their affiliation through 2012.
In April 2005, Miller broke ground on one of his most ambitious projects yet – Miller Motorsports Park (MMP). Located 30 minutes west of Salt Lake City in Tooele County, Utah, MMP is the nation’s longest and widest road-course style racetrack in the United States.
Miller’s most visible contribution to Salt Lake City is his privately owned Delta Center, which, under his supervision, was completed in 1991 in a then-record 15 months and 24 days.
He has received awards from the American Import Auto Dealers Association and Sports Illustrated for his work in the automobile industry. In 1992, Larry was honored by the International Softball Congress when he was inducted into the ISC Hall of Fame as one of the top pitchers in the country. He has also been awarded honorary doctorate degrees from the University of Utah, Weber State University, Salt Lake Community College and Utah Valley State College. He was named Utah’s 1997 Master Entrepreneur of the Year and has received numerous other honors from business, civic and non-profit organizations.
A devoted family man, Miller and his wife, Gail, are the parents of five children (four sons and a daughter) and have 21 grandchildren. They make their home in Salt Lake City.
