Jump by Larry Miller, Laila Lacy
A Review By: TR
One of the most successful Black businessmen in the country, who has led Nike’s Jordan Brand from a $200M sneaker company to a $4B global apparel juggernaut, tells the remarkable story of his rise from gangland violence to the pinnacles of international business.
Jump tells Larry Miller’s journey from the violent streets of West Philly in the 1960s to the highest echelons of American sports and industry. Miller wound up in jail more than once, especially as a teenager. But he immersed himself in the educational opportunities, eventually took advantage of a Pennsylvania state education-release program offered to incarcerated people, and was able to graduate with honors from Temple University.
When revealing his gangland past caused him to lose his first major job opportunity, Miller vowed to keep it a secret. He climbed the corporate ladder with a number of companies such as Kraft Foods, Campbell’s Soup, and Jantzen, until Nike hired him to run its domestic apparel operations. Around the time ofMichael Jordan’s basketball retirement, Nike Chairman Phil Knight made Larry Miller presidentof the newly formed Jordan Brand. In 2007 Paul Allen convinced Miller to jump to the NBA to become president of the Portland Trailblazers, one of the first African-Americans to lead a professional sports team, before returning to Jordan Brand in 2012.
All along, Miller lived two lives: the secret of his violent past haunted him, invading his days with migraines and his sleep with nightmares of getting hauled back tojail.More than a rags-to-riches story, Jump is also a passionate appeal for criminal justice reform and expanded educational opportunities for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people across the United States. Drawing on his powerful personal story, as well as his vast and well-connected network, Miller plans to use Jump as a launching point to help expand such opportunities and to provide an aspirational journey for those who need hope.
Review Notes:
Audio Book Publication Year: 2022
An installment in a Series? No
Narrator (s): JD Jackson
Larry Miller’s raw account of his early life of crime that led him to prison to his unbelievable rise to be the Jordan brand president was inspiring and thought provoking. I was totally engrossed in his commitment to self once he figured out that he was the one standing in his way. The programs that allowed Larry to educate himself and rise in corporate America have essentially been cut out of the prison system now.
I enjoyed this book because Larry Miller was finally able to remove his mask of hiding from his past. He was able to accomplish so much in spite of his troubled youth and past.
The narration was impeccable. JD Jackson’s performance was outstanding and kept me tuned in to Larry’s autobiography. A must-listen recommendation.
Reading Recommendation? Yes!
Rating: NORTH STAR RATING
Content Warnings? Human or animal loss, Physical abuse/violence
