Legendary Lousiville, Milwaukee Bucks player turned partial team owner Junior Bridgeman dies at age 71

Junior Bridgeman, the All-American at Louisville who went on to have a successful NBA career with the Milwaukee Bucks — and an even more successful career as an entrepreneur who became a billionaire after his playing days — has died at the age of 71.

Bridgeman reportedly suffered a medical emergency Tuesday night in Louisville at a fundraising event.

“Junior was the ultimate entrepreneur who built on his impactful 12-year NBA playing career by becoming a highly respected and successful business leader,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “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.” “He was an All-American at U of L … and a self-made billionaire,” said Louisville mayor Craig Greenberg in a statement. “Yet I will most remember Junior Bridgeman for his quiet, impactful assistance to others in need.”

Bridgeman was born in East Chicago, Indiana, but traveled south for college to play for Hall of Fame coach Denny Crum at Louisville. Bridgeman scored 1,348 points and grabbed 657 rebounds across his four seasons. However, he is best remembered for his senior season when he led Louisville to the 1975 Final Four, where they lost to eventual national champion UCLA in a legendary 75-74 thriller.

The Los Angeles Lakers drafted Bridgeman with the No. 8 pick in the 1975 NBA Draft, but he quickly found himself part of the biggest trade in NBA history up to that point. The Lakers traded him to the Milwaukee Bucks in the deal that brought Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Los Angeles. Bridgeman went on to play 10 seasons for the Bucks, plus a couple for the Los A

The drive that made Bridgeman such a great player on the court—he is still in the top 10 in Milwaukee in scoring—also made him a very successful entrepreneur. He made much of his money owning restaurant franchises, most notably Wendy’s and Chili’s, at one time operating more than 450 locations in 20 states. He also became a bottler for Coca-Cola and had numerous other buildings and holdings.

Last year, he bought a 10% stake in the Bucks.

Our thoughts are with his family and friends.