Junior Bridgeman, a basketball standout who led Louisville to a Final Four, starred for the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks and then launched an even more successful career as a businessman with stakes in restaurants, publishing and the Bucks franchise, died Tuesday. He was 71.
Bridgeman was a popular fixture in Louisville after his playing days, and Mayor Craig Greenberg announced his death, saying the city had “lost a kind, generous and groundbreaking legend.”
“He was an All-American at U of L … and a self-made billionaire,” Greenberg said in a statement. “Yet I will most remember Junior Bridgeman for his quiet, impactful assistance to others in need” as well as his love for his family and his “never-ending support for our community.”
Sen. Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, praised his friend as a highly successful businessman and generous philanthropist who loved his alma mater and “the city he called home.”
According to media reports, Bridgeman suffered a medical emergency at a Louisville hotel during a fundraising event Tuesday.
Tributes poured in for a man who excelled on the hardwood and in corporate boardrooms.
“Junior was the ultimate entrepreneur who built on his impactful 12-year NBA playing career by becoming a highly respected and successful business leader,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “He served as a mentor to generations of NBA players and athletes across sports who were eager to learn from him about what it takes to thrive in the business world.”
Bridgeman, a native of East Chicago, Indiana, played for Hall of Fame coach Denny Crum at Louisville. In three seasons, he scored 1,348 points, grabbed 657 rebounds and in his senior season led the Cardinals to the 1975 Final Four, where they lost to eventual national champion UCLA in a 75-74 thriller.
Bridgeman was involved in one of the biggest trades in NBA history at the start of his professional career. After the Los Angeles Lakers selected Bridgeman with the eighth pick in the 1975 draft, they sent him to Milwaukee as part of the trade that brought Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the West Coast.
Bridgeman’s 711 games played for Milwaukee ranks third in franchise history, behind only Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton. His No. 2 jersey was retired by the Bucks in 1988.
“His hard work and perseverance led him to become one of the nation’s top business leaders and, last September, Junior’s professional life came full circle when he returned to the Bucks family as an owner,” the Bucks said in a statement. “His memory will always be an inspiration to the Bucks organization.”
The Bucks announced Bridgeman had bought a stake in the team last year at a news conference that included co-owner Jimmy Haslam, coach Doc Rivers, general manager Jon Horst and many players. Bridgeman said afterward he had a 10% stake.
“The opportunity to get back involved with the team in a different way and take advantage of it was something that was kind of a dream,” Bridgeman said at the time.
Prior to Milwaukee’s game Tuesday night, Rivers said Bridgeman was a strong role model.
“Think about that kid growing up, wanting to be an NBA player, probably his dream, and he turned that dream into becoming an NBA owner,” Rivers said. “He is the exact model the league should use every day when they are talking to our young players.”
Bridgeman played for the Bucks from 1975-84 and then spent two years with the Los Angeles Clippers before coming back to Milwaukee for his final NBA season in 1986-87. He scored 11,517 points (averaging 13.6 per game) in his career. He ranks seventh in Bucks history in field goals (4,142), ninth in points (9,892) and 10th in minutes (18,054).
After his playing days, Bridgeman turned that same drive into a successful business career.
“While his play on the court was exceptional, it was as a leader in the business community that Junior truly excelled,” University of Louisville President Kim Schatzel said in a statement.
Bridgeman was a longtime franchisee for Wendy’s and Chili’s restaurants, at one time operating more than 450 locations in 20 states, the university said. He became a bottler for Coca-Cola and bought Ebony and Jet magazines, the school said.
“I had the privilege of playing against him, and I’ll never forget how he had one of the sweetest jump shots in the NBA,” retired Los Angeles Lakers star Magic Johnson wrote on X. “What people don’t realize is Junior didn’t make a fortune as a player, but he turned what he earned into something extraordinary, becoming a billionaire African American businessman in this country.”
Bridgeman was part of the foursome that owns Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville. He also served on the boards of Churchill Downs racetrack, the University of Louisville and Fifth Third Bank, among others. He and his wife, Doris, hosted a Kentucky Derby party that served as a fundraiser.
“He is the blueprint to so many current and former athletes across sports that success doesn’t end when you’re done playing,” Johnson wrote.
Besides his wife, he is survived by children Eden, Justin and Ryan.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.