"It was not so much about me loving basketball as much as loving the community," he says. "But I couldn't indulge in something that expensive without treating it like a business."

It is an example of another of his apparent keys to success: taking advantage of an opportunity that others miss or dismiss but in which he believes.

Until Miller stepped in, other businessmen thought investing in the Jazz was foolish, if not insanity. "It does give you pause when you want to do something that everyone else has passed on. It makes you say, 'What are we missing here?' " Miller says. "But I said, 'I think it will work — barely — so let's try it.' "

His net worth at the time was about $2 million. He persuaded bankers to lend him $8 million to buy half the team — a team that had lost $17 million in its 11-year history, including losing $1 million in its best year. He literally was risking everything on the Jazz. The next year, he bought the other half of the team for another $14 million.

So what is the team worth now, 20 years after Miller bought it for $22 million?

"The Cleveland (Cavaliers) team just sold for $386 million. I have had two people say the words to me: 'I would pay you more than that for the Jazz,' " Miller says. He adds that the team likely would be worth more outside Utah from investors who want to move it than it would be to buyers inside of Utah — but he sees it as a gift to Utah.

Besides rising in resale value, the team has made plenty of money through the years, defying original predictions (although it has lost money in recent years). "Genius had nothing to do with it, but terrific community support did — and, of course, Karl (Malone) and John (Stockton) had a lot to do with that" as they made the team one of the NBA's best for years, Miller says.

Buying good will

Saving the Jazz bought Miller good will from Utahns in his other business deals, which may have helped fuel expansion in them — especially in his ever-growing number of car dealerships.

"I think that owning the Jazz brings some credence (for business dealings) at a fixed level," he says. While most car salesmen are the butt of jokes, Miller had enough good will to begin and continue to use ads with the tag line: "After all, you know this guy."

"The Jazz created a visibility, certainly. I've had a number of experiences where people told me they bought a car because they are a Jazz fan. It's not a frequent thing. I just know it's there. It all blends together. Strength begets strength," Miller says.