Former NBA Star Junior Bridgeman Attains Billionaire Status

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Published by Stephen Oluwadara at February 14, 2025

Bridgeman’s Smooth Transition From NBA to Business

Bridgeman was among the 1975 NBA Draft class and was selected in the first round as the eighth pick by the Los Angeles Lakers. The NBA’s former sixth man was soon traded to the Milwaukee Bucks as part of a deal to bring Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the Lakers.

He went on to play with the Bucks until 1984 before moving and spending two years with the Los Angeles Clippers. Bridgeman returned to the Bucks for his final season in 1986-87.

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His starting salary in the league was two payments totalling $140,000, but he only saw $55,000 because of taxes and agent fees. Over his 12-year playing career, he earned $2.95M and never made more than $350,000 in a single season.

By the time Bridgeman retired from the league in 1987, he had already considered a roadmap for his post-career as a businessman. He received guidance from former Milwaukee Bucks owner Jim Fitzgerald, who encouraged him to invest $150,000 in a cable startup Fitzgerald was involved in. When his mentor sold the company a few years later, Bridgeman reaped a profit of nearly $700,000 from that investment.

Following his retirement, Bridgeman built a fast-food empire with more than 500 Wendy’s, Chili’s, and Pizza Hut franchises at its peak in 2015. The former NBA star claims that becoming a franchisee had its pitfalls, including the exit of his business partner when his first Wendy’s franchise in Brooklyn, NY, was destroyed by fire.

“We suffered all the things that come with not knowing,” Bridgeman told Forbes. Becoming a hands-on business student, Bridgeman went to training camps and worked peak hours as a drive-thru cashier to better understand all aspects of the restaurants.

He revived his franchise and secured more restaurants, eventually growing his portfolio to around 520 locations at its peak in 2015, generating $500M in revenue. Bridgeman’s family maintains a controlling stake in 160 Wendy’s franchises and 70 Fazoli’s Italian restaurants.

How Bridgeman Consolidated His Earnings to Achieve The Billionaire Status

Then, in 2016, Bridgeman sold most of his restaurants for an estimated $250M, using the proceeds to become a Coca-Cola distributor with a territory spanning three states. Over the last eight years, Bridgeman has grown his bottling business revenue almost threefold to nearly $1 billion in 2023.

The company he founded, Manna Inc., is the largest minority-owned business in Louisville and is now headed up by his son, Ryan Bridgeman. In September of last year, although specifics weren’t revealed at a press conference, it was previously reported that he was buying a 10% stake in the team.

Forbes estimates that Bridgeman received a 15% preferred limited partner discount and paid an estimated $300M for his share of the team. Bridgeman owns Heartland Coca-Cola Bottling Co. and Bridgeman Sports and Media.

Bridgeman Sports and Media bought Ebony and Jet magazines for $14M in December 2020. He was also part of a group of Louisville local business leaders who purchased Valhalla Golf Club from the PGA in 2022. The course hosted the PGA Championship in 2024. Forbes asserts that Bridgeman is reportedly worth an estimated $1.4 billion

Therefore, he joins a small list of former NBA players who became billionaires — Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and LeBron James, who made history as the first active player to achieve this feat.

“He didn’t waste his time just thinking about the game of basketball,” James told Forbes. “He’s always had a business mindset. He loved the game because he got to [the NBA]. But then he used all the resources, outlets — the connections — to his advantage and built an unbelievable portfolio.”

Photo Credit: UrbanGeekz