Junior Bridgeman Ex-NBA Player and Billionaire passes, Rookie Card Puts Him in Rare Category
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Junior Bridgeman, 71, passed away suddenly on Tuesday night of an apparent heart attack while at a fundraiser. The former professional basketball player who played 12 seasons in the NBA became one of the wealthiest Americans through multiple franchise acquisitions.
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My favorite story about Junior Bridgeman has nothing to do w/ Louisville. How he grew his empire by simply treating people the right way. Please listen till the end: pic.twitter.com/XMUrYb8r77
— ⚜️Alan Thomas⚜️ (@CardN_AL) March 11, 2025
Bridgeman built his business empire from a single Wendy's restaurant he co-owned in Brooklyn, NY, with former teammate Paul Silas. The business failed, but he was determined and started again with a handful of Wendy's locations throughout south Milwaukee.
He eventually owned over a hundred Wendy's and Chili's restaurants and became a Coca-Cola bottler. His Coca-Cola distribution produced nearly 60 million bottles and cans nationwide. In February, Forbes reported his net worth was $1.4 billion. In September 2024, Bridgeman purchased a 10% minority stake in the Milwaukee Bucks. With his passing, the team announced they would retire his No. 2.
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Bridgeman's rookie card is from 1976-77 Topps. It is a wonderful card that includes his career stats from Louisville, where he was an All-American, and the stats from his rookie season with Milwaukee. Bridgeman belongs to rare company that includes LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Tiger Woods as former professional athletes who became billionaires.
Still, Bridgeman is different because while he had a stellar professional career, he didn't make his money from endorsements. Instead, Bridgeman used a decent but modest salary by today's NBA standards to invest carefully in businesses that he nurtured. He failed initially, but he didn't let initial failure get in the way of his future success.
Shaq reflects on the passing of his friend, @Bucks legend and owner Junior Bridgeman ❤️ pic.twitter.com/YiDzQhqR4R
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) March 11, 2025
Bridgeman's rookie card is significant because it's a portrait of an athlete who achieved the American Dream through sports, turning his career into a greater opportunity to be one of America's greatest businessmen. It is the rare true rookie card of a billionaire.
Horacio is an avid sports card collector and writes about trending card auctions and news across several major hobby sites, including Sports Collectors Daily and Collectibles on SI.
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