Junior Bridgeman, a former college basketball star who went on to have a lengthy career in the NBA and became a billionaire businessman following his playing days, died on Tuesday after suffering a medical emergency during a downtown Louisville event.
Multiple outlets reported that Bridgeman, 71, had grabbed his chest and said he believed he was having a heart attack while at the 45th Annual Leadership Luncheon on Scouting, which benefits the Lincoln Heritage Council, Scouting America at the Galt House Hotel.
The operator of the hotel confirmed Bridgeman’s passing in a statement to WAVE News in Lousiville and the city’s mayor, Craig Greenberg, issued a statement on the passing of the billionaire.
“Today, we lost a kind, generous and groundbreaking legend,” Greenberg said. “He was an All-American at UofL, an NBA All-Star, and a self-made billionaire. Yet, I will most remember Junior Bridgeman for his quiet, impactful assistance to others in need, his love for Doris and his entire family, and his never-ending support for our community. Junior made us all better people and Louisville a better city. Rachel and I send our love and prayers to the Bridgeman family. May Junior’s memory be a blessing.”
The incident occurred in front of people attending the event and while Kent Taylor, the sports director at WLKY, had been interviewing him.
Emergency personnel were called and he was taken away by ambulance.
Bridgeman spent over a decade in the NBA after playing college ball at the University of Louisville from 1972-75, where he won Valley Conference Player of the Year in his final two seasons and helped the Cardinals make two Final Four appearances.
He was taken No. 8 overall in the 1975 NBA Draft by the Lakers and then was traded to the Bucks weeks later, where he spent the first nine years of his pro career. He later went to the Clippers for two seasons before ending his career back in Milwaukee.
Dale Guldan / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
During that time he averaged 13.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists.
In a statement, the Bucks said that they were “shocked and saddened” by his passing on Tuesday.
“Junior’s retired No. 2 jersey hangs in Fiserv Forum, serving as a constant remembrance of his outstanding play on the court and his impact on the Bucks’ success,” the team said in a statement. “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.
“His memory will always be an inspiration to the Bucks organization. We are heartbroken by Junior’s passing and we send our deepest condolences to his wife, Doris, his children, Eden, Justin, and Ryan, his entire family and all those close to him.”
Bridgeman built a fast-food empire, eventually owning over 100 Wendy’s and Chili’s restaurants around the country, and owned more than 450 restaurants through his company Bridgeman Foods Inc., most of which were sold in 2016.
He had other enterprises that included Coca-Cola bottling operations, Ebony and Jet Magazines and co-owned the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville.
He had an estimated net worth of $1.4 billion, according to Forbes.
Bridgeman purchased a 10 percent stake in the Bucks last year.
“Junior Bridgeman was an incredible family man, community leader, business executive and tremendous representative and supporter of the University of Louisville,” Vice-President/Director of Athletics Josh Heird said in a statement released by the school. “But more than that, he embodied the kindness and humanity that we should all seek in ourselves. Junior used his immense talents and successes in both business and sport to ensure that his life had a positive impact. He cared deeply about making the world a better place for all of us. His life is woven into the fabric of the University of Louisville’s history and story, as a player, as a leader and as a generous supporter of Louisville Athletics and the University.
“We will be forever indebted to him for all that he did for our student-athletes, our campus, and most importantly, the Louisville community. Words cannot fully express our enormous sense of loss today.”