Tori Miller
The #1 Goal Is to Pay It Forward
Few people set out to be the first. In Tori Miller’s case, it was a matter of unwavering passion intersecting with the right personality. Growing up, Tori was always into sports. Her entryway, or “first love”, as she puts it, was softball. At the recommendation of her coach, she tried out basketball and quickly realized she wasn’t as naturally skilled at it, which put her in the position of having to figuratively court this new sport into becoming a new love.
“I was terrible,” Tori laughs, “so I asked my mom to get a basketball hoop. We put it up in our home and I practiced all summer until I started improving. My initial intrigue for basketball came from not being immediately good at it and then it just grew. I played in middle school and high school, and I fell in love with the game.”
Her athletic career didn’t carry into college, “I’m 5’2 on a good day,” she jokes, but that didn’t mean she was ready to give up being near and around the court. By the time college rolled through, Tori had concluded that she wanted to be a sports agent and attended the University of Miami as a business major with a minor in sports administration. During her sophomore year, she interned at an agency in Miami which is how she was able to get her foot in the door as a woman in sports.
However, Tori’s career journey was not a perfect swish, so to speak. Agency life, she says, is pretty rough since you can be hired and fired at any given moment. Instead, she found herself gravitating more and more towards the front office. Once she noticed that her strength and interests were in assembling teams, she course-corrected and set herself on the path towards becoming a GM.
Those outside of sports may not know what a GM does, so we asked Tori to define it in her words. “A good general manager (GM) is a great leader. Someone that empowers everyone around them—whether that’s their employees in the front office or their players and coaching staff—to be the best they can be.” While industry experience is needed, especially as a woman, leadership skills are hard to teach. According to Tori’s family, she was born with the latter part down pat, “They used to joke that I was bossy because I was always the captain of the teams I was on and I liked giving out orders,” she said with an edge of satisfaction. The harder part for Tori was getting the experience. After graduation, she started looking for opportunities on the path to GM-dom, eventually interning at the WBCA (Women’s Basketball Coaches Association) in Atlanta.
“Coming out of college, the plan was to be free, take six months off, and relax,” Tori laughs, “but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to go back home and gain experience. It wasn’t necessarily GM-related, it was a marketing internship, but the skills I gained helped prepare me for that journey towards the front office.” It was after this internship that she narrowed her focus, sending her portfolio out to all 30 teams in the NBA, bound and pristinely printed—”My mom worked at a law firm at the time so I had the printer hook-up,” she noted.
The #1 Goal Is to Pay It Forward
Few people set out to be the first. In Tori Miller’s case, it was a matter of unwavering passion intersecting with the right personality. Growing up, Tori was always into sports. Her entryway, or “first love”, as she puts it, was softball. At the recommendation of her coach, she tried out basketball and quickly realized she wasn’t as naturally skilled at it, which put her in the position of having to figuratively court this new sport into becoming a new love.
“I was terrible,” Tori laughs, “so I asked my mom to get a basketball hoop. We put it up in our home and I practiced all summer until I started improving. My initial intrigue for basketball came from not being immediately good at it and then it just grew. I played in middle school and high school, and I fell in love with the game.”
Her athletic career didn’t carry into college, “I’m 5’2 on a good day,” she jokes, but that didn’t mean she was ready to give up being near and around the court. By the time college rolled through, Tori had concluded that she wanted to be a sports agent and attended the University of Miami as a business major with a minor in sports administration. During her sophomore year, she interned at an agency in Miami which is how she was able to get her foot in the door as a woman in sports.
However, Tori’s career journey was not a perfect swish, so to speak. Agency life, she says, is pretty rough since you can be hired and fired at any given moment. Instead, she found herself gravitating more and more towards the front office. Once she noticed that her strength and interests were in assembling teams, she course-corrected and set herself on the path towards becoming a GM.
Those outside of sports may not know what a GM does, so we asked Tori to define it in her words. “A good general manager (GM) is a great leader. Someone that empowers everyone around them—whether that’s their employees in the front office or their players and coaching staff—to be the best they can be.” While industry experience is needed, especially as a woman, leadership skills are hard to teach. According to Tori’s family, she was born with the latter part down pat, “They used to joke that I was bossy because I was always the captain of the teams I was on and I liked giving out orders,” she said with an edge of satisfaction. The harder part for Tori was getting the experience. After graduation, she started looking for opportunities on the path to GM-dom, eventually interning at the WBCA (Women’s Basketball Coaches Association) in Atlanta.
“If I see you that way, with love, I must let your grief into my heart, your story into my heart, I must stand up for you when you’re in harm’s way. What happens when we see George Floyd as our brother, or Breonna as a sister, migrant children as our own sons and daughters—what would we risk?”
Back when Tori was working for the agency as a college sophomore, she connected with Irv Roland. By the time she was sending out her portfolios, Roland was three months into his new role as Player Development Coach at the Phoenix Suns. “Obviously, the first obstacle when I was applying was that I was a woman in a male-dominated space,” she made clear, “but since Irv vouched for me, I was able to get an interview. After flying in and doing everything, I got the job.” Tori was hired as an intern for one year and was invited back for a second. In Phoenix, she learned about scouting, personnel, and all the components that go into running an organization. It was exactly what she wanted to be learning.
After completing her second year, however, she was ready for a full-time position and the Suns didn’t have any available, so she was back to square one. She packed her car up and drove from Phoenix to Atlanta to move in with her mom and start applying once more. This time, she had more experience under her belt, so she was able to reach out more confidently and land some interviews. But by the time the season started, she had no leads.
“If September rolls around and you don’t have a job, you’re likely going to have to wait until the next season,” she explained to us. Finding herself back at home and out of work for that year, Tori thought about what she could do to set herself apart while making progress towards her GM goal. Having had some agency experience, she decided to pursue unpaid scouting.
“I split time between Atlanta and Delaware because my husband used to coach for the 76ers’ G League team, the Delaware Blue Coats. When I was in Atlanta, I’d drive to college games all around Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and South Carolina. When I was in Delaware, I’d focus on the G League and compile monthly scouting reports that I’d send out to all 30 teams. Eventually, my reports started to gain some traction." Her aptitude for finessing peaked through, "At the games, I’d ask to sit near the scouts so I could rub elbows and bother them during the games a bit," she smirked. That whole process led up to Tori meeting Malik Rose, who was working with Atlanta Hawks at the time.
Back when Tori was working for the agency as a college sophomore, she connected with Irv Roland. By the time she was sending out her portfolios, Roland was three months into his new role as Player Development Coach at the Phoenix Suns. “Obviously, the first obstacle when I was applying was that I was a woman in a male-dominated space,” she made clear, “but since Irv vouched for me, I was able to get an interview. After flying in and doing everything, I got the job.” Tori was hired as an intern for one year and was invited back for a second. In Phoenix, she learned about scouting, personnel, and all the components that go into running an organization. It was exactly what she wanted to be learning.
After completing her second year, however, she was ready for a full-time position and the Suns didn’t have any available, so she was back to square one. She packed her car up and drove from Phoenix to Atlanta to move in with her mom and start applying once more. This time, she had more experience under her belt, so she was able to reach out more confidently and land some interviews. But by the time the season started, she had no leads.
“If September rolls around and you don’t have a job, you’re likely going to have to wait until the next season,” she explained to us. Finding herself back at home and out of work for that year, Tori thought about what she could do to set herself apart while making progress towards her GM goal. Having had some agency experience, she decided to pursue unpaid scouting.
“I split time between Atlanta and Delaware because my husband used to coach for the 76ers’ G League team, the Delaware Blue Coats. When I was in Atlanta, I’d drive to college games all around Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and South Carolina. When I was in Delaware, I’d focus on the G League and compile monthly scouting reports that I’d send out to all 30 teams. Eventually, my reports started to gain some traction." Her aptitude for finessing peaked through, "At the games, I’d ask to sit near the scouts so I could rub elbows and bother them during the games a bit," she smirked. That whole process led up to Tori meeting Malik Rose, who was working with Atlanta Hawks at the time.
Once the Atlanta Hawks started their G League team, the College Park Skyhawks, Malik Rose was appointed GM and he brought Tori on as Manager of Basketball Operations. In time, Tori was named Assistant GM and, two years ago, she was made GM, making her the first woman to be named General Manager of an NBA G League team.
Seeing Tori’s relentless drive and creativity pay off is beyond inspiring. She went after what she wanted with unyielding energy, even when there were simply no opportunities available for her. Many people in Tori’s position may have given up or felt disillusioned, so we asked if she ever felt ready to throw in the towel. She replied, relatably, “Absolutely, I was broke," and let out a laugh before continuing, "It wasn’t uncommon for me to be in Delaware wanting to see a game in Madison Square Garden, so I’d take the cheapest Greyhound bus. The game would end at 11 p.m. and my bus wouldn't be scheduled to leave until 2 a.m. so I’d wait at the station. I did crazy things like that all the time just to go to a game and bump into the right person.
“If September rolls around and you don’t have a job, you’re likely going to have to wait until the next season,” she explained to us. Finding herself back at home and out of work for that year, Tori thought about what she could do to set herself apart while making progress towards her GM goal. Having had some agency experience, she decided to pursue unpaid scouting.
“I split time between Atlanta and Delaware because my husband used to coach for the 76ers’ G League team, the Delaware Blue Coats. When I was in Atlanta, I’d drive to college games all around Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and South Carolina. When I was in Delaware, I’d focus on the G League and compile monthly scouting reports that I’d send out to all 30 teams. Eventually, my reports started to gain some traction." Her aptitude for finessing peaked through, "At the games, I’d ask to sit near the scouts so I could rub elbows and bother them during the games a bit," she smirked. That whole process led up to Tori meeting Malik Rose, who was working with Atlanta Hawks at the time.
Once the Atlanta Hawks started their G League team, the College Park Skyhawks, Malik Rose was appointed GM and he brought Tori on as Manager of Basketball Operations. In time, Tori was named Assistant GM and, two years ago, she was made GM, making her the first woman to be named General Manager of an NBA G League team.
Seeing Tori’s relentless drive and creativity pay off is beyond inspiring. She went after what she wanted with unyielding energy, even when there were simply no opportunities available for her. Many people in Tori’s position may have given up or felt disillusioned, so we asked if she ever felt ready to throw in the towel. She replied, relatably, “Absolutely, I was broke," and let out a laugh before continuing, "It wasn’t uncommon for me to be in Delaware wanting to see a game in Madison Square Garden, so I’d take the cheapest Greyhound bus. The game would end at 11 p.m. and my bus wouldn't be scheduled to leave until 2 a.m. so I’d wait at the station. I did crazy things like that all the time just to go to a game and bump into the right person.
“I heard the word ‘no’ probably a million times throughout my career," she recalled, "but I always tell young girls and everyone I speak to that I’m a strong believer in 'no'. Every ‘no’ helped me—figuring out what I could do better or just developing tougher skin.”
Tori talks to young people often, particularly young women, about developing a career in sports. “Paying it forward,” she says with pride, “is the number one goal.” Now that the door has been opened for her, she wants to make sure it stays open. Whenever young women reach out to her, even if they’re cold-calling, she’ll always answer because she remembers being in their shoes. A story she holds close to her is that of Jillian White who contacted her five years ago, saying that she wanted to do what Tori did. At the time, Tori was not GM, but she was moved by Jillian’s drive so the two had lunch and kept in touch throughout Jillian’s career. This past year, Jillian accepted a position with Motor City Cruise, the Detroit Pistons’ G-league team.
“I never really understand the magnitude of being where I am until I hear stories like Jillian’s or Amber Nichols’”—the second female GM in the NBA G League, who accepted the position just a year after Tori became the first—”it makes it all worth it; makes my heart flutter.” Both Tori and Amber had great seasons this year, which speaks not only to their shared camaraderie but their exceptional talent as well. “People always ask me what it felt like to be named GM, to be the first one to do it,” Tori recalls, “but all I remember was getting flooded with emails, text messages, DMs, phone calls, from young girls saying thank you, thank you, thank you. That’s when it really hit home.”
This was shot by Anissa Baty, follow her on IG @nisshoots or check out her site to learn more. Thank you to the @CPSkyhawks media team, click their tag to follow them on IG. To keep up with Tori, check out her LinkedIn.
Once the Atlanta Hawks started their G League team, the College Park Skyhawks, Malik Rose was appointed GM and he brought Tori on as Manager of Basketball Operations. In time, Tori was named Assistant GM and, two years ago, she was made GM, making her the first woman to be named General Manager of an NBA G League team.
Seeing Tori’s relentless drive and creativity pay off is beyond inspiring. She went after what she wanted with unyielding energy, even when there were simply no opportunities available for her. Many people in Tori’s position may have given up or felt disillusioned, so we asked if she ever felt ready to throw in the towel. She replied, relatably, “Absolutely, I was broke," and let out a laugh before continuing, "It wasn’t uncommon for me to be in Delaware wanting to see a game in Madison Square Garden, so I’d take the cheapest Greyhound bus. The game would end at 11 p.m. and my bus wouldn't be scheduled to leave until 2 a.m. so I’d wait at the station. I did crazy things like that all the time just to go to a game and bump into the right person.
This idea of summoning ancestors is more accessible than one would think. Valarie channels the energy of her grandfather, a biological ancestor, but she also sits at the feet of Black thinkers like Dr. King, James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, and bell hooks.
“I heard the word ‘no’ probably a million times throughout my career," she recalled, "but I always tell young girls and everyone I speak to that I’m a strong believer in 'no'. Every ‘no’ helped me—figuring out what I could do better or just developing tougher skin.”
Tori talks to young people often, particularly young women, about developing a career in sports. “Paying it forward,” she says with pride, “is the number one goal.” Now that the door has been opened for her, she wants to make sure it stays open. Whenever young women reach out to her, even if they’re cold-calling, she’ll always answer because she remembers being in their shoes. A story she holds close to her is that of Jillian White who contacted her five years ago, saying that she wanted to do what Tori did. At the time, Tori was not GM, but she was moved by Jillian’s drive so the two had lunch and kept in touch throughout Jillian’s career. This past year, Jillian accepted a position with Motor City Cruise, the Detroit Pistons’ G-league team.
“I never really understand the magnitude of being where I am until I hear stories like Jillian’s or Amber Nichols’”—the second female GM in the NBA G League, who accepted the position just a year after Tori became the first—”it makes it all worth it; makes my heart flutter.” Both Tori and Amber had great seasons this year, which speaks not only to their shared camaraderie but their exceptional talent as well. “People always ask me what it felt like to be named GM, to be the first one to do it,” Tori recalls, “but all I remember was getting flooded with emails, text messages, DMs, phone calls, from young girls saying thank you, thank you, thank you. That’s when it really hit home.”
This was shot by Anissa Baty, follow her on IG @nisshoots or check out her site to learn more. Thank you to the @CPSkyhawks media team, click their tag to follow them on IG. To keep up with Tori, check out her LinkedIn.
This idea of summoning ancestors is more accessible than one would think. Valarie channels the energy of her grandfather, a biological ancestor, but she also sits at the feet of Black thinkers like Dr. King, James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, and bell hooks.