Junior Bridgeman
Junior Bridgeman, a former NBA star, self-made billionaire and philanthropist who purchased Ebony and Jet magazines out of bankruptcy, died Tuesday, March 11. He was 71.
According to television station WLKY in Louisville, Kentucky, Bridgeman was being interviewed by its sports reporter during a fundraiser at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville when he said he thought he was having a heart attack.
The station reported that those present immediately jumped into action, and when emergency medical services arrived, Bridgeman was taken away in an ambulance. He died later at a local hospital.
Bridgeman suffered a medical emergency Tuesday at the Galt House Hotel during the 45th Annual Leadership Luncheon on Scouting, benefiting the Lincoln Heritage Council, Scouting America.
The Al J. Schneider Company, which owns Galt House, reportedly confirmed Bridgeman’s death.
“I am devastated to learn of the sudden passing of Junior Bridgeman,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement.
“Junior was the ultimate entrepreneur who built on his impactful 12-year NBA playing career by becoming a highly respected and successful business leader. 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.
“Junior was a dedicated member of the NBA family for 50 years — most recently as a minority owner of the Milwaukee Bucks, an investor in NBA Africa and as a player who set the standard for representing the league and our game with class and dignity.”
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said in a statement, “Today, we lost a kind, generous, and groundbreaking legend. He was an All-American at U of L, 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 family, and his never-ending support for our community.”
In 2020, Bridgeman bought Ebony and Jet magazines for $14 million when the publications were in Chapter 11 bankruptcy. He then gave the magazines to his daughter, Eden Bridgeman Sklenar, as a birthday gift.
Once owned by the defunct Johnson Publishing Company in Chicago, Ebony and Jet magazines were forced into bankruptcy by lenders who were owed $10 million in unpaid debts under Ebony Media Holdings LLC.
Willard Jackson, the CEO of that company, and his Texas-based private equity firm, the CVG Group, bought the magazines from Johnson Publishing Company in 2016 for an undisclosed sum.
Ebony and Jet are digital-only publications today.
The publications were part of Bridgeman’s empire, which he built after retiring from the NBA. He spent 12 seasons there, primarily with the Milwaukee Bucks and briefly with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Bridgeman’s business empire began with restaurant franchises such as Wendy’s, Chili’s, and Fazoli’s. At one point, he was the second-largest Wendy’s franchisee in the U.S., overseeing more than 250 locations and employing over 11,000 people, according to Forbes. That empire grew to include at least 450 franchises.
In 2016, Forbes ranked Bridgeman as the fourth-wealthiest retired athlete in the world. In 2017, Bridgeman launched Heartland Coca-Cola Bottling Company, servicing multiple states.
In 2024, he purchased a 10 percent stake in the Milwaukee Bucks. Last month, Forbes reported that Bridgeman’s net worth had surpassed $1.4 billion.
Bridgeman was born in the small, predominantly Black city of East Chicago, Indiana. According to ESPN, when he was a boy, he wanted to join the Boy Scouts, but the $1.25 membership fee was too much for his family to afford. At Washington High School, Bridgeman spent summers working odd jobs, making about $20 to $40 per week—money he tried to stretch throughout the school year.
Bridgeman excelled in basketball in high school. He was a star on the school’s undefeated 29-0 state championship team.
Bridgeman became an All-American at the University of Louisville, reaching the 1975 Final Four. He scored 1,348 career points in 87 games, ranking 29th in all-time scoring for the Cardinals. The university honored him with its No. 10 jersey, one of 20.
He earned a psychology degree from the University of Louisville in 1975.
The Los Angeles Lakers drafted the 6-foot-5 wing at No. 8 in 1975, then traded him to Milwaukee in a blockbuster deal for Bucks star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Bridgeman played 12 seasons in the NBA, 10 of them with the Bucks and two with the LA Clippers. During his career, he averaged 13.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 25 minutes per game, establishing himself as one of the game’s best sixth men. He served as president of the National Basketball Players Association from 1985 to 1988.
According to the Louisville Courier-Journal, Bridgeman founded the Trifecta Gala, an annual Kentucky Derby Eve tradition that drew celebrities and raised millions for charity. He also served on the board of directors for Churchill Downs Inc.
Bridgeman is survived by his wife, Doris Griffith, and their three children, Eden, Justin and Ryan.