LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Junior Bridgeman, a former NBA player who later became a billionaire entrepreneur and minority owner of the Milwaukee Bucks, has died. He was 71.
Bridgeman died Tuesday after suffering a medical emergency during an event in Louisville, Kentucky, according to reports. He was being interviewed by local news station WLKY during the 45th Annual Leadership Luncheon on Scouting when he grabbed his chest and said he thought he was having a heart attack, WLKY reports.
Emergency medical services responded to the scene and transported Bridgeman to a local hospital. His death was confirmed later Tuesday by the Al J. Schneider Company, which owns The Galt House Hotel where the event was hosted.
“Junior Bridgeman was an integral part of our community. From his athletic impact to his philanthropic efforts, he will be deeply missed,” Chief Marketing Officer Lance George said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Bridgeman family during this time.”
Bridgeman, a former University of Louisville star, played 12 seasons in the NBA from 1975-87, including 10 seasons with the Bucks and two with the Los Angeles Clippers. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the eighth pick in the 1975 NBA Draft, but a few weeks later was traded to Milwaukee in a four-player package for legendary center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who went on to win five NBA titles with the Lakers throughout the 1980s. Bridgeman, a 6-foot-5 wing, was mostly a sixth man throughout his career, averaging 13.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 849 career games.
After retirement from the NBA, Bridgeman established an estimated net worth of about $1.4 billion, Forbes reported in February. He became the owner of Ebony and Jet magazines, had success owning a range of restaurant chains including Wendy’s and Chili’s, and became a distributor for Coca-Cola bottles.
In September 2024, Bridgeman purchased a 10% minority ownership stake in the Bucks at a $4 billion valuation. He received a preferred limited partner discount, equating to a $3.4 billion valuation, due this his status as a former Bucks player, CNBC reports.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and the Bucks organization each issued statements Tuesday remembering Bridgeman.
“Junior was the ultimate entrepreneur who built on his impactful 12-year NBA playing career by becoming a highly respected and successful business leader,” Silver said. “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.”
“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.”