Junior Bridgeman Made a Lot of Money After His NBA Career Ended — Details on His Net Worth
Junior Bridgeman was a man who had an incredible financial plan.
Published March 12 2025, 11:01 a.m. ET
The NBA world has lost one of the greats after Junior Bridgeman passed away at the age of 71, on March 11, 2025. The circumstances surrounding his death were especially tragic as he suffered a heart attack while speaking at an event in Louisville, Ky. Junior gave 12 years to the sport he loved, playing for the Milwaukee Bucks as well as the Los Angeles Clippers.
Following his retirement, Junior was honored multiple times throughout his life which included being inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame, the University of Louisville College of Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame, and the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame. And while his athletic career was certainly impressive, it's what he did later that really turned heads. Junior's astute business decisions amassed him an incredible amount of money. Let's take a look at his net worth.
Junior Bridgeman's net worth was built restaurants.
Junior played for the NBA from 1975 until 1987, but back then players weren't raking in the big bucks like they are today. He ended his career with a few million dollars, per Cracked. For most of us, that's a lot of money but Junior was only 34 years old and couldn't possibly live off that for the rest of his life. When he passed, Junior had a net worth of $1.4 billion, reported ESPN. How did he do it?
Junior Bridgeman
NBA player, Entrepreneur
Net worth: $1.4 billion
Junior Bridgeman was an American businessman and professional basketball player.
- Birth date: Sept. 17, 1953
- Birthplace: East Chicago, Ind.
- Birth name: Ulysses Lee Bridgeman, Jr.
- Marriages: Doris Griffith
- Children: Eden Bridgeman, Justin Bridgeman, and Ryan Bridgeman
- Education: University of Louisville
During his off-seasons, Junior spent much of his time studying Wendy's and their franchise system. He eventually purchased one, then branched out to a few more. This turned out to be a successful venture for Junior who started buying Chili's franchises as well. Pretty soon Bridgeman Food, Inc. had over 450 restaurants under its umbrella.
In 2016 he took another risk by selling all of his restaurants and shifting into bottling Coca-Cola. Five years later, Junior was worth $600 million which allowed him to purchase Ebony and Jet magazines, and invest in NBA Africa. In September 2024, Junior snagged a 10 percent stake in his beloved Milwaukee Bucks, which was the push needed to get him over the billion-dollar mark.