Bridgeman, known as well for 12 years as a small forward/shooting with the Milwaukee Bucks, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 71. His death has created a void in both the basketball and the business worlds, where he was widely admired as a self-made success.

Bridgeman was a Louisville basketball great, 12-year NBA veteran and billionaire businessman who purchased a stake in the Bucks franchise he played for.

Junior Bridgeman, a basketball standout who led Louisville to a Final Four, played 12 seasons in the NBA and then launched an even more successful career as a businessman with stakes in publishing, restaurants and the Milwaukee Bucks,