Larry Miller Time: The Story of the Lost Legend Who Sparked the Tar Heel Dynasty

I thoroughly enjoyed this inside view of the Tar Heel basketball great. Miller's memories of his teammates and the coaches and other personalities of that time were engaging and fun. Well-written and insightful, with wonderful stories of that era of college and pro basketball (and of Miller's foray from hometown guy, to basketball hero, to life after basketball, and back home again) made for an entertaining read. I highly recommend this book as a great blast from the past, and a fascinating study of a guy who was a hero to so many.

Here’s a review from a die hard Duke fan! I recommend this fascinating read to anyone who loves basketball and the ACC, or basketball at all... As much as I wish Larry Miller had chosen the darker blue, it was an amazing journey for him to choose UNC and Dean Smith, a gentleman whom I admired greatly and was proud to count as one of my friends. What a legacy that needed to be told! The Big Cat truly started the dynasty that is UNC basketball. Beautifully written and told by Stephen Demorest. Do yourself a favor and order a copy today!

I was also a graduate of Catasauqua High School but a few years older than Larry Miller and have been living in Raleigh, NC since 1982. I became a big fan of UNC Basketball because of Larry but didn't know much about his success or lack of it when he decided to sign with the ABA instead of the NBA. Once his playing career was over, I knew nothing about him and found the book very interesting. I would like to thank Larry and everyone involved in publishing this book.

Larry was one of the greatest Tarheel Round Ballers ever to wear the baby blue and white uniform. The Author dropped the ball in not mentioning if Larry ever married, had children. Also the relationship with his sister was not mentioned. Aside from growing award winning roses and tomatoes, and living a life of debauchery and alcoholism coupled with great college talent, and great moments as a pro, I feel it missed the mark. Possibly Larry purposely left these details out. Maybe I pull for our heroes to live meaningful lives after their playing careers. But at the end of the day, they are mere mortals and suffer from the same maladies as we humans do.

For many of us growing up in North Carolina in the 1960s, Dean Smith's first Final Four teams were what cemented our allegiance to the Heels. And the greatest player of those teams was Larry Miller, whose life and legend had, for the most part, receded from attention until the publication of this fine book.The circumstances of the way the book came to be written are serendipitous, causing the reader to think of how close Miller's story came to not being told. There's too much in the book that will cause moments of joy for fans of those first great Tar Heel teams for me to spoil it by sharing them here. Suffice it to say, the book is well written, very engaging, and has the cooperation of Larry Miller himself. As a result of that cooperation, the book contains photos and excerpts from letters and interviews with Miller's teammates and acquaintances that may not otherwise have been possible to obtain.In short, for fans of those teams that established the Carolina basketball dynasty, and for whom Larry Miller was our first Tar Heel superstar, this is the book we've waited for our whole lives. Buy it - you won't be disappointed.

If you want a thrill from Larry's high school days, go to Youtube and search "catasauqua vs steelton". It's the 1964 radio broadcast of a state playoff game, a 65 to 62 Catty win, in which Miller had 46 points (17 straight at one point), 20 rebounds. Veteran sports writers called it the greatest performance they had ever seen. Small town Catasauqua was outgunned but they had an all-time great. Unfortunately the last part 6 is missing but a home movie shows Larry's last minute drive for the win. I remember standing in the rain outside Lincoln gym to see Larry's last home game in which he scored a record 65. It's hard to overstate just how dominant and revered he was. In an area that has produced many pros in all sports, he remains and will remain the greatest ever.Edit: Should have mentioned Steelton's Stewart went on to star at Michigan then headed to the NBA.One major omission from the book is that in high school, Miller had an astounding 2,000+ rebounds.One game, his double double was 37 points, 37 rebounds.

Growing up in Larry's hometown, his legend is well known. Although he is older than me, I came to know him more personally when he moved back to Catasauqua, and I was working at the Post Office. He was always humble and kind, just like the song! This is a must read for every local Catty die hard and every NC basketball fan. Heck, any basketball fan! His stats will amaze most readers. I read it in one day and was so amused to see names I knew along with a borough and businesses of an era gone by. I have purchased several paperback copies and sent one to our 92 year old uncle who remembers standing in line to get into the Rough Rider games at the Lincoln gym. He will be so surprised to receive it in the mail! I enjoyed many of Larry's comments and especially his poem at the end. Kudos to Stephen Demorest and his wife for getting Larry to share his story!

This is a wonderful book from start to finish, especially for those of us who grew up in Miller’s heyday. But, it goes much deeper than just a basketball story. It is also a story about human life, and the joys and frustrations that come with it — particularly for those who live in the limelight but are not always comfortable with that. The book is both bright and dark, like the man himself, but always hopeful.