NBA legend Magic Johnson wrote a heartfelt tribute for former Milwaukee Bucks forward/guard and billionaire businessman Ulysses Lee “Junior” Bridgeman, who passed away on Tuesday at the age of 71 after suffering a medical emergency during the 45th Annual Leadership Luncheon on Scouting.
Magic wrote a note on X, highlighting the life and legacy of his friend.
“I’m saddened to hear of the passing of my friend Junior Bridgeman,” Johnson prefaced. “I had the privilege of playing against him, and I’ll never forget how he had one of the sweetest jump shots in the NBA. But it was his character, his kindness, and his gentle soul that truly left a lasting impression on me. He was one of the nicest guys you would ever want to meet.”
I’m saddened to hear of the passing of my friend Junior Bridgeman. I had the privilege of playing against him, and I’ll never forget how he had one of the sweetest jump shots in the NBA. But it was his character, his kindness, and his gentle soul that truly left a lasting… pic.twitter.com/i3xa3fgWuu
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) March 11, 2025
“He was an inspiration”: Magic Johnson talks about Junior Bridgeman’s contribution to the community
Magic Johnson talked about how Bridgeman was an inspiration on how to be “a man, a husband, a father, and a businessman,” elaborating on his business dealings and his efforts to give back to the community.
“What people don’t realize is Junior didn’t make a fortune as a player, but he turned what he earned into something extraordinary, becoming a billionaire African-American businessman in this country,” Magic continued. “His business portfolio included owning 450 Wendy’s and Chili’s franchises in 20 states, Coca-Cola bottling operations in the US and Canada, Ebony and Jet magazines, Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, and he was a minority owner of the Milwaukee Bucks.”
Johnson continued, “Junior also served on the boards of PGA of America, Churchill Downs Inc, Fifth Third Bank, Jackson Hewitt, Governors Scholar Program, Crusade for Children Foundation, University of Louisville’s Board of Trustees, Louisville Arena Authority, and more. He is the blueprint to so many current and former athletes across sports that success doesn’t end when you’re done playing.”
Bridgeman’s career spanned from 1975 to 1987, with two separate stints for the Bucks and a two-year run with the Los Angeles Clippers. Across the 849 games he played, he averaged 13.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists, shooting 47.5% from the field. He was also highly regarded as one of the best sixth men in the league.
Following his retirement from the NBA, Bridgeman focused on his business ventures, becoming a minority owner of the Bucks last year, and going on to be hailed as one of the richest athletes in the world. According to Forbes, he had a net worth of over $1.4 billion.
For more sports content:
Follow us @HardwoodHeroics for your NBA and college basketball reading fix. You can reach out to Dan Agulto through email at [email protected]. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest sports news, click here!
Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
