Basketball Star Junior Bridgeman Dies at Age 71

Basketball player Junior Bridgeman, who led Louisville to the Final Four, played for the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks, and went on to have an even more prosperous career as a businessman with holdings in the Bucks franchise, restaurants, and publishing, passed away on Tuesday. He was seventy-one.

Following his playing career, Bridgeman was a well-liked figure in Louisville. When he passed away, Mayor Craig Greenberg declared that the city had “lost a kind, generous, and groundbreaking legend.”

Greenberg issued a statement saying: “He was an All-American at U of L … and a self-made billionaire,” 

“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.”

Kentucky Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell hailed his friend as a prosperous businessman and philanthropic benefactor who cherished his alma mater and “the city he called home.”

Adam Silver and the NBA give a statement on Junior Bridgeman

Bridgeman had a medical incident at a hotel in Louisville on Tuesday while attending a fundraising event, according to media sources.

For a man who thrived in business boardrooms and on the hardwood, tributes were pouring in. In a statement, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said: “Junior was the ultimate entrepreneur who built on his impactful 12-year NBA playing career by becoming a highly respected and successful business leader,” 

 “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.”

Born in East Chicago, Indiana, Bridgeman played at Louisville under Hall of Fame coach Denny Crum. In his final season, he led the Cardinals to the 1975 Final Four, where they were defeated by eventual national champion UCLA in a thrilling 75-74 game. He finished with 1,348 points and 657 rebounds in three seasons.

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