Jordan Brand's Chairman revealed to Sports Illustrated a secret he's kept for 56 years. The former president of the Portland Trail Blazers came clean about killing a man at 16 and hiding the secret from close acquaintances, including Michael Jordan and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, until recently.

In his cover story, Larry Miller admitted to killing 18-year-old Edward White in September 1965. He explained being a gang member and seeking retaliation after a friend was fatally stabbed in West Philadelphia.

Miller claimed he went hunting for a rival gang member as revenge for his friend's death. After drinking a bottle of wine to himself, he grabbed his gun and shot the first person he saw. Miller shot and killed White without knowing if he was involved in his friend's stabbing.

"That's what makes it even more difficult for me, because it was for no reason at all," Miller said. "I mean, there was no valid reason for this to happen. And that's the thing that I really struggle with and that's -- you know, it's the thing that I think about every day. It's like, I did this, and to someone who -- it was no reason to do it. And that's the part that really bothers me."

Miller was arrested for the murder and ended up spending the rest of his adolescence and early adulthood behind bars until he turned 30. Shortly afterward, he earned an accounting degree from Temple University. However, after being denied a job once he disclosed his criminal history, he decided to never disclose his past again.

The Jordan Brand executive eventually landed a job as Nike's vice president, in 1997, before serving as Jordan Brand's president from 1999 until 2006. After his tenure as the Blazers' president, he returned to Jordan Brand in 2012.

In the Sports Illustrated story, Miller described the fear of taking high-profile jobs and having his criminal past exposed. He also described coming clean to his inner circle. Miller claimed he decided to come clean in order to encourage others to consider second chances and prevent the youth from following in his footsteps.

"If I could go back and undo it, I would absolutely do that," Miller stated. "I can't. So all I can do is try to do what I can to help other people and try to maybe prevent this from happening to someone else."

To read more about Larry Miller's story, click the link below.

Source: Sports Illustrated