LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Junior Bridgeman, a University of Louisville basketball star who became a prominent civic and business leader after his NBA career ended, died Tuesday after suffered a medical emergency at the Galt House Hotel in downtown Louisville.

Bridgeman collapsed at a luncheon for the Lincoln Heritage Council of the Boy Scouts of America, according to sources with direct knowledge of the incident. The Al J. Schneider Company, which owns the hotel, confirmed the news in a statement Tuesday evening.

“Junior Bridgeman was an integral part of our community. From his athletic impact to his philanthropic efforts, he will be deeply missed,” Lance George, chief marketing officer, said in a written statement. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Bridgeman family during this time.”

Ulysses Lee Bridgeman, 71, was born in East Chicago, Indiana, and starred for Denny Crum at Louisville, where he was the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year in 1974-75. The NCAA didn’t allow freshmen to play for the varsity until the 1972-73 season, so Bridgeman starred for a freshman team that Crum persistently insisted was more talented than the freshman class Adolph Rupp brought to Kentucky that included Mr. Basketballs from Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio and Illinois.

Bridgeman scored 1,348 points in three seasons with the Cardinals as the program won 72 of 89 games. He led the team to the 1975 Final Four, where they lost a close game to UCLA in overtime in San Diego, California. With a victory, U of L would have played UK for the championship.

The Lakers selected Bridgeman with the No. 8 pick in the 1975 draft and included him in the four-player package they traded to Milwaukee for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Over a dozen seasons, he scored 11,517 points, crediting the coaching he received from Crum and his staff for his successful career.

Bridgeman played for the Bucks from 1975-84 and then spent two years with the Los Angeles Clippers before coming back to Milwaukee for his final NBA season in 1986-87. He ranks seventh in Bucks history in field goals made (4,142), ninth in points (9,892) and 10th in minutes (18,054).

Bridgeman’s 711 career games played for Milwaukee ranks him third in franchise history, behind only current Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton. His No. 2 jersey was retired by the Bucks in 1988.

After his playing career, Bridgeman began investing in restaurants and eventually became owner and CEO of Bridgeman Foods, which operated more than 450 Wendy’s and Chili’s restaurants in 20 states until 2016. He also has been an independent bottler for Coca-Cola. His family owns Ebony and Jet magazines.

Bridgeman has been ranked as one of the wealthiest former athletes in the United States by Forbes magazine.

And that success as a businessman — as well as a player — made him attractive to NBA teams seeking people to purchase stakes in their team. In September 2024, Bridgeman purchased a 10% stake in the Milwaukee Bucks, a deal that valued the franchise at $4 billion. He said at the time he hoped his new role helps him advise players on the right steps to take and the pitfalls they should avoid as they prepare for life after basketball. He’s had those types of discussions with players in the past.

“Nobody wants to see guys not be successful, or as successful as they could be,” Bridgeman said. “Maybe one day, they’ll be sitting up here, not being a 10% (owner) but buying the whole Milwaukee Bucks franchise. You never know.”

Bridgeman is part of a group of four longtime Valhalla Golf Club members — along with Jimmy Kirchdorfer, David Novak and Ches Musselman — who purchased the club from the PGA of America in 2022.

He is active in community affairs in Louisville and served as chairman of U of L’s Board of Trustees from 2003 to 2005. He served briefly on the board once again after former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin reconstituted the board in 2016.

He has served on numerous other boards, including Fifth Third Bank, the Louisville Free Public Library, West End School and Crusade for Children Foundation. He has been capital campaign co-Chair for the African American Heritage Foundation, according to a biography on U of L’s website. 

Bridgeman was on the original board of the Louisville Arena Authority, which secured financing for what became the KFC Yum! Center.

This story will be updated.

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