Milwaukee Bucks: All-Time Greatest 15 Man Roster
By Adam McGee
Junior Bridgeman – Third String
Bridgeman might be the smartest player ever to play for the Bucks. I’m not just talking about his play on the court, but his work off of it too.
During Bridgeman’s playing career, the Bucks sixth man specialist used to scoff at discussions of salaries around the league approaching the million dollar mark.
"I’m definitely not a millionaire – not even half a one. But the pay is very good."
Over 31 years on from that tweet, Bridgeman has an estimated net worth of $400 million. Building on from being one of the league’s ultimate leaders as the president of the NBA Players Association, Bridgeman expressed a growing interest in business.
He majored in psychology, flirted with pursuing a law degree, and eventually became a fast food magnate after his retirement. Bridgeman now employs over 9,000 people across the Midwest between the 195 Wendy’s, 125 Chili’s and 45 Fannie May chocolate stores that he owns.
Junior knew what his role was as soon as he stepped into the game. He provided offense, moved the ball, got a few rebounds, got a few assists. – Harvey Catchings
On the court, Bridgeman was equally as resourceful and productive for the Bucks too. Although he rarely started, Bridgeman scored in bunches, and generally helped those around him to elevate their performances to new heights.
He leads the franchise in terms of games played with a whopping total of 711 to his name. He also lands in the franchise’s top ten all-time scorers, having amassed just under 10,000 points in Milwaukee.
What made Bridgeman so important for the Bucks was unselfishness and the relentless dynamic he gave to the team. Whenever Milwaukee’s opponents saw Marques Johnson head for the bench and thought they might be about to get some respite, Bridgeman would emerge to terrorize them even further.
Those great Bucks teams of the late 70s/early 80s wouldn’t have been the same without him.
Next: Andrew Bogut