Larry Miller's future involvement with Jazz unclear

If there is one holding Larry H. Miller can't stand to stay away from, it may be the Jazz.

So while eldest son Greg Miller was promoted Wednesday to chief executive officer of the Sandy-based Larry H. Miller Group of Companies, a broad umbrella of business and sports-related ventures that encompasses the NBA franchise, it remains to be seen just how much the ailing Jazz owner will stay involved in the team's day-to-day operations.

The likelihood seems a lot.

But no one's sure.

"I respect the fact that he's still the owner, and he can do whatever he wants," said Greg Miller, a 42-year-old father of six from Sandy who most recently has been overseeing development of, and operations at, the family-owned Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele County. "I wouldn't expect anything to change. He's a very hands-on guy, and I know that he enjoys his involvement with the Utah Jazz."

In fact, Miller added, "I don't know if he'll back off."

Yet 64-year-old Larry Miller has been hospitalized for five weeks with complications from type-2 diabetes, and even after Greg Miller held a hastily-called news conference Wednesday night it's unclear in the long-term just how much the Jazz's recuperating owner will desire — and be able — to handle.

"I would expect it to be more measured going forward, rather than just seat-of-the-pants, going-as-hard-as-you-can every day," said Greg Miller, adding he anticipates his father will become more involved in philanthropic efforts. "I would expect it to be more paced, and he'll decide when enough's enough.

"If he wants to continue the way he's done (with the Jazz), nobody's gonna stop him," Miller added. "And if he says, 'You know, I've had enough, I'm gonna go fishing,' then we'll deal with that too. We're prepared to handle any scenario."

As it stands, though, Greg Miller — who also will serve with his three brothers, mother Gail and others on a newly formed governing board for the Miller companies, of which Larry Miller is chairman — admittedly knows little about daily Jazz operations.

He suggested he has no knowledge of details regarding the team's most-pressing matter at the moment, ongoing negotiations of a contract extension for starting point guard Deron Williams.

He said Larry Miller will retain for now his seat on the NBA's Board of Governors — the management body overseeing league operations — but that potential succession to the seat will be discussed sometime in the future.

And he readily admits to being not nearly the basketball junkie Larry Miller is.