18 Facts About Junior Bridgeman

1.

Ulysses Lee "Junior" Bridgeman was born on September 17,1953 and is an American businessman and former professional basketball player.

2.

Junior Bridgeman is the current owner of Ebony and Jet magazines.

3.

Junior Bridgeman was the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year in 1974 and 1975.

4.

Junior Bridgeman was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1975 NBA draft in the first round.

5.

On June 16,1975, almost three weeks after the draft, Junior Bridgeman was involved in a landmark trade.

6.

Junior Bridgeman was traded by the Los Angeles Lakers with David Meyers, Elmore Smith and Brian Winters to the Milwaukee Bucks for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Walt Wesley.

7.

Junior Bridgeman improved, averaging 14.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists.

8.

Nelson and Junior Bridgeman would remain together for the next eight seasons.

9.

Junior Bridgeman was utilized by coach Nelson as a complement to teammates Bob Dandridge, Marques Johnson, Sidney Moncrief, Bob Lanier, Quinn Buckner, Myers, Winters and Mickey Johnson during his Milwaukee tenure, as the Bucks had powerful teams, winning several division titles.

10.

On January 29,1985, Junior Bridgeman scored 30 points in a loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

11.

Junior Bridgeman played in 711 games for the Bucks, still the most in franchise history.

12.

Junior Bridgeman was a sixth man for most of his career, averaging double figures in scoring for nine consecutive seasons.

13.

Junior Bridgeman served as the president of the National Basketball Players association from 1985 to 1988.

14.

On May 26,2022, Manna Capital Partners, an investment firm cofounded by Junior Bridgeman, announced that the firm had partnered with Ball Corporation to construct an operate an integrated secondary aluminum mill in Los Lunas, New Mexico.

15.

In 2008, the PGA of America appointed Junior Bridgeman to serve on the PGA Board of Directors.

16.

Junior Bridgeman is a key member of the Simmons College of Kentucky Board of Trustees.

17.

Junior Bridgeman has been honored numerous times at Bucks games since his retirement, and makes regular appearances at Bucks games for bobblehead nights and autograph signings during charity donation-drive events.

18.

Junior Bridgeman is a member of the Louisville megachurch Southeast Christian Church.