Milwaukee Bucks great Junior Bridgeman dies at 71
Alona Yadav | Mar 12, 2025, 17:00 IST
( Image credit : Agencies )
Junior Bridgeman, Milwaukee Bucks legend turned successful businessman, has died at 71. Bridgeman notably played 10 NBA seasons with Milwaukee, achieving nearly 10,000 points. Post his sports career, he amassed a $1.4 billion business portfolio and recently bought a 10% stake in the Bucks. He is remembered as a humble gentleman by peers and fans.
Junior Bridgeman, a Milwaukee Bucks legend who transformed his NBA success into a billion-dollar business empire, has died at age 71, the team announced Tuesday.
Bridgeman reportedly suffered a medical emergency at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville during a fundraising event.
"The Milwaukee Bucks are shocked and saddened by the tragic passing of Bucks legend and owner Junior Bridgeman," the team said in a statement. "Junior's retired No. 2 jersey hangs in Fiserv Forum, serving as a constant remembrance of his outstanding play on the court and his impact on the Bucks' success."
The 6-foot-5 guard-forward spent 10 of his 12 NBA seasons with Milwaukee, scoring 9,892 of his 11,517 career points with the franchise. He averaged 13.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists over his career, including a career-high 17.6 points per game in the 1979-80 season. Bridgeman ranks ninth on the Bucks' all-time scoring list.
"Just really a dark day, a tough day, losing Junior," Bucks coach Doc Rivers told reporters before Tuesday's game against Indiana. "I've known Junior since I was in college. He was one of the guys, him and Quinn Buckner, that would call me at Marquette to get me to go play with the Bucks of all places."
Born in East Chicago, Indiana, on September 17, 1953, Bridgeman won a state championship at Washington High School in 1971. He went on to excel at the University of Louisville, earning All-America honors and twice being named Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year.
The Los Angeles Lakers selected Bridgeman with the eighth overall pick in the 1975 NBA Draft but traded him to Milwaukee three weeks later in the deal that sent Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Los Angeles.
In Milwaukee, Bridgeman became a key contributor on competitive Bucks teams that featured stars like Marques Johnson and Sidney Moncrief. Those teams won 60 games in 1980-81 and captured at least 50 victories for seven consecutive seasons. The Bucks reached the Eastern Conference Finals three times during Bridgeman's tenure but fell short against Philadelphia and Boston.
Following his playing career, Bridgeman built an impressive business portfolio, acquiring Wendy's, Chili's, and pizza chain franchises. He also owned and operated bottle manufacturing plants for Coca-Cola. Last month, Forbes estimated his net worth at nearly $1.4 billion.
In September, Bridgeman's professional journey came full circle when he purchased a 10% ownership stake in the Bucks.
"When he was an NBA player, if you would have just met him on the street, you wouldn't have known. He wouldn't have told you and he didn't act like it," Rivers said. "When he became a billionaire, you wouldn't have known and he would not have told you and he didn't act like it. The word gentleman is like gentle man and that is as good as you can get with Junior."
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called Bridgeman "the ultimate entrepreneur" who "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 is survived by his wife, Doris, and his children, Eden, Justin, and Ryan.
Bridgeman reportedly suffered a medical emergency at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville during a fundraising event.
"The Milwaukee Bucks are shocked and saddened by the tragic passing of Bucks legend and owner Junior Bridgeman," the team said in a statement. "Junior's retired No. 2 jersey hangs in Fiserv Forum, serving as a constant remembrance of his outstanding play on the court and his impact on the Bucks' success."
The 6-foot-5 guard-forward spent 10 of his 12 NBA seasons with Milwaukee, scoring 9,892 of his 11,517 career points with the franchise. He averaged 13.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists over his career, including a career-high 17.6 points per game in the 1979-80 season. Bridgeman ranks ninth on the Bucks' all-time scoring list.
"Just really a dark day, a tough day, losing Junior," Bucks coach Doc Rivers told reporters before Tuesday's game against Indiana. "I've known Junior since I was in college. He was one of the guys, him and Quinn Buckner, that would call me at Marquette to get me to go play with the Bucks of all places."
Born in East Chicago, Indiana, on September 17, 1953, Bridgeman won a state championship at Washington High School in 1971. He went on to excel at the University of Louisville, earning All-America honors and twice being named Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year.
The Los Angeles Lakers selected Bridgeman with the eighth overall pick in the 1975 NBA Draft but traded him to Milwaukee three weeks later in the deal that sent Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Los Angeles.
In Milwaukee, Bridgeman became a key contributor on competitive Bucks teams that featured stars like Marques Johnson and Sidney Moncrief. Those teams won 60 games in 1980-81 and captured at least 50 victories for seven consecutive seasons. The Bucks reached the Eastern Conference Finals three times during Bridgeman's tenure but fell short against Philadelphia and Boston.
Following his playing career, Bridgeman built an impressive business portfolio, acquiring Wendy's, Chili's, and pizza chain franchises. He also owned and operated bottle manufacturing plants for Coca-Cola. Last month, Forbes estimated his net worth at nearly $1.4 billion.
In September, Bridgeman's professional journey came full circle when he purchased a 10% ownership stake in the Bucks.
"When he was an NBA player, if you would have just met him on the street, you wouldn't have known. He wouldn't have told you and he didn't act like it," Rivers said. "When he became a billionaire, you wouldn't have known and he would not have told you and he didn't act like it. The word gentleman is like gentle man and that is as good as you can get with Junior."
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called Bridgeman "the ultimate entrepreneur" who "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 is survived by his wife, Doris, and his children, Eden, Justin, and Ryan.