Junior Bridgeman, UofL basketball legend and billionaire businessman, dies at 71
By WLKY Digital Staff
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LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (WLKY) — Junior Bridgeman, a local billionaire businessman and former basketball star in both Louisville and the NBA, has died.
He was 71.
Bridgeman suffered a medical emergency Tuesday at The Galt House Tuesday during the 45th Annual Leadership Luncheon on Scouting, benefiting the Lincoln Heritage Council, Scouting America.
WLKY’s Kent Taylor was interviewing him as part of the program in front of hundreds of attendees when Bridgeman expressed that he thought he was having a heart attack.
People immediately jumped into action to help, and when emergency medical services arrived, he was taken away in an ambulance.
The Al J. Schneider Company, which owns The Galt house, confirmed Bridgeman died.
Bridgeman spent more than a decade in the NBA and is one of Louisville’s most prominent business leaders and philanthropists.
He leaves behind his wife, Doris, and three children: Eden, Justin and Ryan.
Bridgeman was born in East Chicago, Indiana. He went to college at UofL, where he played basketball from 1972-1975. His team made it to two Final Fours under legendary coach Denny Crum.
Bridgeman then went on to play more than a decade in the NBA.
He spent the majority of his professional basketball career with the Milwaukee Bucks. He also played a short stint with the LA Clippers.
During his NBA career, he started investing in Wendy’s restaurants and eventually built a fast-food empire with his company Bridgeman Foods Inc., owning more than 450 restaurants.
He sold most of them in 2016.
His other enterprises include Coca-Cola bottling operations and Ebony and Jet magazines. He’s also a co-owner of the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville.
Just last year, Bridgeman became a minority owner of his former team, the Bucks.
After that, Forbes estimated he was worth more than a billion dollars, putting him on a very short and elite list of athletes.
Bridgeman has also sat on numerous boards over the years, including UofL and Simmons College boards of trustees.
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