Former NBA player Junior Bridgeman passed away at the age of 71 after suffering a heart attack
12 march 2025 в 20:13
Former NBA player Junior Bridgeman, who played from 1975 to 1987, passed away at the age of 71 after suffering a heart attack during an event in Louisville, Kentucky, according to various sources.
His death on Tuesday, March 11, was confirmed by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who expressed his sorrow in a statement to ESPN, saying that he was «shocked to learn of Junior Bridgeman’s sudden passing».
«Junior was the perfect entrepreneur, who built a successful business based on his influential 12-year NBA career. He served as a mentor to generations of NBA players and athletes in various sports who sought to learn from him how to thrive in business. Junior was a devoted member of the NBA family for 50 years — 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 dignity and respect».
Learn more about Bridgeman’s impressive career, significant wealth, and personal life below.
According to a previous Forbes report, Bridgeman had an estimated net worth of $ 1.4 billion. He accumulated his wealth by acquiring over 450 fast-food franchises, including Wendy’s, Pizza Hut, and Chili’s, before adding a Coca-Cola bottling company to his portfolio in 2016.
ESPN reported that Bridgeman earned around $ 2.95 million during his NBA career, with his highest salary for a season never exceeding $ 350,000.
Bridgeman was married to his wife Doris Griffith.
Bridgeman is survived by three children — Eden, Justin, and Ryan, whom he had with his wife
His death on Tuesday, March 11, was confirmed by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who expressed his sorrow in a statement to ESPN, saying that he was «shocked to learn of Junior Bridgeman’s sudden passing».
«Junior was the perfect entrepreneur, who built a successful business based on his influential 12-year NBA career. He served as a mentor to generations of NBA players and athletes in various sports who sought to learn from him how to thrive in business. Junior was a devoted member of the NBA family for 50 years — 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 dignity and respect».
Learn more about Bridgeman’s impressive career, significant wealth, and personal life below.
According to a previous Forbes report, Bridgeman had an estimated net worth of $ 1.4 billion. He accumulated his wealth by acquiring over 450 fast-food franchises, including Wendy’s, Pizza Hut, and Chili’s, before adding a Coca-Cola bottling company to his portfolio in 2016.
ESPN reported that Bridgeman earned around $ 2.95 million during his NBA career, with his highest salary for a season never exceeding $ 350,000.
Bridgeman was married to his wife Doris Griffith.
Bridgeman is survived by three children — Eden, Justin, and Ryan, whom he had with his wife
© Zhinobaeva Margarita
