The chairman of Nike's Jordan brand revealed he killed someone after a gang fight in West Philadelphia in 1965.

Larry Miller told Sports Illustrated he was 16 years old when he accompanied the Cedar Avenue gang to search for a rival accused of killing a friend he said had been innocent. 

As the gang searched for the alleged killer, they encountered 18-year-old Edward White, the article published on Wednesday revealed. Miller said that's when he shot White, believing he was affiliated with the rival gang. 

"We were all drunk," Miller said, adding that he didn't know for sure if White was affiliated with the gang. "I was in a haze."

The Nike employee, who was accused of playing a role in White's death, spent most of his youth in prison. Through the years, however, Miller chose to hide details of the incident. Now, Miller said he is coming forward to help others learn from his mistakes.

"If I could go back and undo it, I would absolutely do that," he said. "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."

The former Portland Trail Blazers president said he'd been a straight-A student until joining a gang at 13 and eventually ended up in prison. While serving time, Miller studied for an accounting degree at Temple University. The Philadelphia native almost landed a job with an accounting firm after leaving prison. But the company rescinded its job offer after Miller disclosed his criminal history.

As he decided to hide his story from that point forward, the former gang member found a job at Kraft Foods and Campbell Soup Company. In 1997, Miller was hired as vice president of Nike Basketball. Two years later, he was appointed president of the Jordan brand. 

After leaving the company in 2007 to serve as president of the Trail Blazers, Miller returned to the Jordan brand in 2012. 

The chairman plans to reveal more about his journey in his upcoming book, Jump: My Secret Journey From the Streets to the Boardroom. In recent months, Miller said he has shared his story with his close friend, Michael Jordan, as well as NBA commissioner Adam Silver and several Nike executives.

"Larry Miller has played an influential role in Nike history and is a beloved member of the Nike family," Nike CEO John Donohoe told Sports Illustrated. "I hope his experience can create a healthy discourse around criminal justice reform, by helping remove the stigma that holds people and communities back."