Jazz Owner Miller Fined By NBA

April 26, 1999 / 9:34 PM EDT / AP

The NBA fined Utah Jazz owner Larry Miller $10,000 Monday for arguing with Portland guard Greg Anthony during Utah's win over the Trail Blazers last Friday.

The league said Miller made "inappropriate comments" in the fourth quarter of the game when he told Anthony, who had just committed a hard foul on John Stockton, he was a "cheap-shot artist."

Anthony replied angrily and walked toward the Jazz owner, and Miller rose from his courtside seat. After a heated exchange, Anthony backed off.

"I can't repeat the words (Miller said), but I'm going to report him to the league, because I was told we're not allowed to talk that way out there," Anthony told The Oregonian.

Anthony also said he would consult with an attorney and demand a public apology.

"I've seen guys who play like that, and I don't like it," Miller said of Anthony. "I understand hard play, but it looked like all he was assigned to do was take Stockton out."

Miller was late arriving to Utah's Monday game against Phoenix and was not immediately available for comment.

The Jazz were leading the Blazers at the time and went on to win 96-85, increasing Utah's Western Conference lead over Portland. Miller didn't attend Utah's Sunday win over Seattle.

It wasn't the first time Miller, the Jazz's owner for the last 14 seasons, has been involved in controversy.

He has had numerous similar run-ins with opposing players over the years at the Delta Center, and in 1994, he settled out of court with a Nuggets fan Miller attempted to choke after being heckled during a playoff game in Denver.

Miller, the owner of an extensive string of car dealerships throughout the West, is a beloved figure in Salt Lake City. His purchase of the Jazz in 1985 prevented the previous owners from moving the team to Minneapolis.