Junior Bridgeman
The sixth man who became a billionaire businessman and Bucks minority owner.
Junior Bridgeman was an American professional basketball player who played for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers from 1975 until 1987. Following his playing career, he became a highly successful businessman, owning hundreds of fast-food restaurants, becoming a Coca-Cola bottler and distributor, and acquiring Ebony and Jet magazines. Despite never making more than $350,000 a season during his NBA career, Bridgeman had a net worth of over $1.4 billion, making him one of the wealthiest former athletes in the world.
Quick Facts
- Born
- 17 September 1953
- Birthplace
- East Chicago, Indiana, U.S.
- Died
- 11 March 2025
- Place of death
- Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
- High school
- Washington (East Chicago, Indiana)
- College
- Louisville (1972–1975)
- Draft round
- 1
- Draft pick
- 8
Lore & Background
Bridgeman was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the eighth overall pick in the 1975 NBA draft, but was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks on June 16, 1975, as part of the deal that sent Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the Lakers. As a rookie in 1975–1976 under coach Larry Costello, Bridgeman averaged 8.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists. In 1976–1977, Costello was fired after a 3–15 start and assistant coach Don Nelson was hired. Bridgeman improved to 14.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists. On December 15, 1976, Bridgeman scored a career-high 41 points in a 129–125 loss against Boston. Nelson and Bridgeman were together for the next eight seasons. Bridgeman was used by Nelson as a complement to teammates Bob Dandridge, Marques Johnson, Sidney Moncrief, Bob Lanier, Quinn Buckner, David Meyers, Brian Winters and Mickey Johnson. The Bucks won division titles in 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984. On April 5, 1981, Bridgeman scored a career playoff-high 32 points and recorded six assists in a Game 1 Eastern Conference semifinals loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. After nine seasons in Milwaukee, on September 29, 1984, Bridgeman was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers for Terry Cummings, Craig Hodges and Ricky Pierce. He returned to Milwaukee for one more season before retiring in 1987. He played in 711 games for the Bucks, at the time the most in franchise history, a record surpassed on March 20, 2023, by Giannis Antetokounmpo. In his 12-year NBA career, Bridgeman scored 11,517 points. Bridgeman played as a sixth man for most of his career, averaging double figures in scoring for nine consecutive seasons. Some believe that if the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award had existed before the 1982–83 season, he might have won it multiple times. In his career with the Bucks and Clippers, Bridgeman played in 849 games, averaging 13.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists, shooting 47% on field goals and 84% from the foul line. Bridgeman also served as the president of the National Basketball Players Association from 1985 to 1988. On September 24, 2024, the Bucks announced that Bridgeman had purchased a 10% interest in the team, with the deal valuing the franchise at $4 billion.
Reader's Guide
Junior Bridgeman played for the Milwaukee Bucks from 1975 to 1984, then again from 1986 to 1987. He wore jersey number 2. He was a 6-foot-5-inch guard/forward who played as a sixth man for most of his career. He averaged double figures in scoring for nine consecutive seasons. In his career with the Bucks and Clippers, he played in 849 games, averaging 13.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists, shooting 47% on field goals and 84% from the foul line. He scored 11,517 points in his NBA career. He played in 711 games for the Bucks, at the time the most in franchise history. He served as president of the National Basketball Players Association from 1985 to 1988. After retiring, he owned over 450 fast-food restaurants, including over 160 Wendy's and 120 Chili's restaurants. In 2016, he sold 120 Chili's and 100 Wendy's and started a Coca-Cola bottling company. In December 2020, he bought Ebony and Jet for $14 million. On September 24, 2024, he purchased a 10% interest in the Bucks, with the deal valuing the franchise at $4 billion.
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