Historical Spotlight: Junior Bridgeman
Every year carries its number of lost souls. We’ve already lost numerous legends like Angie Stone, Roy Ayers, and now Junior Bridgeman joins the list. He made history as being more than just a basketball player and decided to create generational wealth for his family by investing in businesses that would last long after his dominance in the NBA. Join me as we shine a Historical Spotlight on his success on and off the court and how he inspired his community to build sustainable wealth.
Junior, whose full name was Ulysses Lee Bridgeman Jr., was born on September 17, 1953 in East Chicago, Indiana to his parents Ulysses Lee Sr. and Delores Bridgeman. From an early age, he was invested in playing basketball. His 6’5” frame helped him lead his high school team to an undefeated 29-0 season in 1971, resulting in a victory at the Indiana state high school basketball championship.
For college, he attended the University of Louisville in Kentucky and played guard and forward. He was named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year in 1974 and 1975 and even led his team to an NCAA Division I tournament appearance as a junior. The next year, he was able to lead the team to a Final Four appearance where they faced UCLA and ultimately lost in a very close 75-74 game. Throughout his collegiate career, he averaged 15.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.7 assists.
After declaring for the draft in 1975, he was originally selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round as the eighth overall pick, but was traded along with four other players to the Milwaukee Bucks just three weeks later. As a rookie, he only averaged 8.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists, but quickly improved his numbers to average 14.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. On December 15, 1976, he scored his career-high of 41 points during a 129-125 loss against the Boston Celtics.
Junior spent nine seasons with the Bucks, eight of which were under head coach Don Nelson. They won division titles each year spanning from 1980 to 1984, and on April 5, 1981, he scored his career playoff-high of 32 points in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
On September 29, 1984, he was traded by the Bucks to the Los Angeles Clippers, where he spent only two seasons before returning back to the Bucks in 1986. He retired in 1987, and at the time, held the Bucks’ franchise record for most games played with 711. He scored a total of 11,517 points during his NBA career and solidified himself as one of the game’s best sixth men. The Bucks retired his No. 2 jersey in 1988.
He put in work not only on the court, but also off the court and picked up some skills that would help propel him into the next stage of life. He dedicated himself to learning Wendy’s business model during his off-seasons to prepare for when basketball was no longer an option. After retiring from the NBA, he fully committed to investing in the Wendy’s franchise and eventually owned over 450 fast-food restaurants. As time went on, he used his capital to diversify his portfolio and even started a Coca-Cola bottling company.
Despite owning hundreds of restaurants, he remained humble and even worked the drive-thru window occasionally. He didn’t brag about his success or try to flaunt it. In 1975, he married his college sweetheart, Doris Payne, and the couple had three children, Justin, Ryan, and Eden. The family settled in the Louisville, Kentucky area, where he was active in the community.
As he continued growing, he was appointed to numerous directorships including the PGA Board of Directors in 2008, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Board of Governors in 2010, and even the University of Louisville Board of Trustees in 2016. Over the years, he was also honored numerous times at Bucks games and made regular appearances for bobblehead nights and was available for autograph signings during charity donation events.
He was inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999, the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame in 2009, and the Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame in 2014. He’s also received many other prestigious awards for not only his solid basketball performance, but for his business contributions and community involvement as well.
In 2016, Forbes ranked Junior as the fourth-wealthiest retired athlete in the world with an estimated income of $32 million. He led multiple different companies like Bridgeman Foods Inc., Manna Capital Partners, and Bridgeman Sports and Media to help grow his empire. He even purchased two well-known magazines, Ebony and Jet, after they declared bankruptcy in 2020. He made sure to reinvest in his passion as well and on September 24, 2024, he purchased a 10% interest in the Bucks, effectively becoming a minority owner.
Even as he accumulated mass amounts of wealth, he focused on giving back to his community whenever he could. He often gave back to charity, helped people start businesses, and even ensured his workers were taken care of when COVID forced one of his stores to close for a week. He was well known for his generosity and financial astuteness.
Junior passed at the young age of 71 on March 11, 2025 in Louisville, Kentucky after suffering from a heart attack. His public memorial service was held on March 22 at the Southeast Christian Church. He is survived by his wife and children.
He never made more than $350,000 a season during his NBA career, but smartly invested his money so his net worth eventually ballooned to over $1.4 billion. He’s one of the wealthiest former athletes in the world and a testament to how diversifying your income and living below your means can set you up well in life.
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Signed,
Jessica Marie
