The long-time director of the Nike company revealed that he killed a peer in his youth

When a friend was killed by a rival gang member, Miller says he grabbed a .38-caliber handgun, got drunk with three friends and went in search of the killer.

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Photo: Getty Images
Photo: Getty Images
Disclaimer: The translations are mostly done through AI translator and might not be 100% accurate.

The long-time CEO of the American sports equipment company Nike has revealed that he killed a teenager on the streets of Philadelphia 56 years ago.

In an interview with Sports Illustrated magazine, Larry Miller confessed to the 1965 murder.

"It was eating me up inside," Miller said of the murder, which he committed when he was 16 and, he said, was a gang member.

Miller announced the publication of his memoirs next year.

He said he joined a gang in West Philadelphia at age 13, quickly rising through the ranks.

He also said that he drank alcohol every day.

When a friend was killed by a member of a rival gang, Miller says he grabbed a .38-caliber pistol, got drunk with three friends and went in search of the killer.

Instead, on September 30, 1965, he shot the first person they encountered in the chest. It was 18-year-old Edward Whitey.

"That makes it even worse because there was no reason (to kill him)," he said.

He served a prison sentence for murder.

Miller described the decision to reveal his dark past - which he had long hidden from his children, friends and closest business associates - as "really difficult".

"I've been running away from this for years," he told Sports Illustrated.

"I was trying to hide the truth and hope people didn't find out."

Miller has been with Nike since 1997 and manages the day-to-day operations of Nike Basketball, the Michael Jordan brand (one of the best basketball players of all time) and Converse.

He is also the former president of the Portland Trail Blazers professional basketball team.

He says that he never lied about being in prison in his job applications.

Before the interview, Miller allegedly informed the closest circle of people around him, including basketball legend Michael Jordan and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.

In the book "The Leap: My Secret Journey from the Streets to the Boardroom" - assisted by his eldest daughter - will describe the incident in detail, as well as multiple stays in juvenile detention and prison for various offenses.

He says he hopes his story will help turn young people away from violence and inspire those who have been in prison to realize they can still contribute to society.

"One's mistake, or the worst mistake one has made in one's life, should not govern the rest of one's life," he said.


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