Ulysses “Junior” Bridgeman, a former NBA player who became a billionaire business mogul, has died at 71.
Bridgeman suffered a medical emergency Tuesday during a benefit at a hotel in Louisville, Ky. During an interview in front of attendees, he reportedly said he thought he was having a heart attack. Emergency services arrived and took him away in an ambulance.
Born in East Chicago, Ind., Bridgeman became an All-American at the University of Louisville before being drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers and subsequently traded to the Milwaukee Bucks.
The 6-foot-5 forward/shooting guard became one of the NBA’s best sixth men during a 12-year career with Milwaukee — which ultimately retired his No. 2 jersey — and the L.A. Clippers.
After his playing days were over, Bridgeman found success in a number of businesses. As a restauranteur, he became one of the biggest owners of Wendy’s and Chili’s franchises. He owned Ebony and Jet magazines and became a Coca-Cola distributor with a multi-state territory, among other endeavors.
In 2016, Forbes listed Bridgeman as the fourth-wealthiest retired athlete in the world — behind Michael Jordan, David Beckham and Arnold Palmer — with a net worth of more than $1 billion.
Last September, he bought a 10% stake with the Bucks, the team he’d played on for 10 seasons.
“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,” the team said in a statement. “His memory will always be an inspiration to the Bucks organization.”
Bridgeman is survived by his wife, Doris, and three children: Eden, Justin and Ryan.