Junior Bridgeman Rumors

Bucks Notes: Giannis, Porter, Sims, Kuzma, Bridgeman

March 16th, 2025 at 2:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The battle to be named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player this season has turned into a two-man race, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic considered the heavy favorites to earn the honor. But two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo has been arguably just as productive this year as he was in the two seasons he won the award (2018-20), a fact that Bucks head coach Doc Rivers highlighted following Saturday’s victory over Indiana.

“It’s funny, I was talking to one of the better coaches in the league and he brought it up,” Rivers said, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “He said, ‘How the hell is no one talking about Giannis? He is doing different stuff. His assists keep going up. I mean, I don’t know what the guy has to do.'”

Across his two MVP seasons, Antetokounmpo averaged 28.5 points, 13.0 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game, with a 56.6% shooting percentage. Through 54 games this season, the star forward has put up 30.6 PPG, 12.1 RPG, 5.9 APG, and 1.2 BPG on 60.5% shooting.

“I’m not going to campaign (for him to be named MVP),” Rivers continued. “I’m not going to do that, but he is a forgotten guy with what he’s doing for our basketball team.”

Here’s more on the Bucks:

The Pacers won four of five regular season games over Milwaukee a year ago, then knocked the Bucks out of the playoffs in the first round. The two teams currently hold the fourth and fifth spots in the East and could meet in the first round again this spring, so the Bucks recognized the importance of Saturday’s victory, which gave them the tiebreaker edge over Indiana, as well as a one-game lead in the standings. “Obviously, we wanted to get the tiebreaker,” Damian Lillard said, according to Nehm. “And a team that we’ve played so many times over the last two seasons, you know it’s going to be a physical game. It’s gonna be a competitive game … but we were able to pull it out, so that’s what really counts.”
In a separate story for The Athletic, Nehm takes a look at how trade-deadline additions Kevin Porter and Jericho Sims are impacting the Bucks, writing that getting Porter’s ball-control issues in check is a priority. Entering Saturday’s game, the guard had committed multiple turnovers in nine consecutive games despite averaging just 15.6 minutes per night. “That’s non-negotiable,” Rivers said. “Especially late in the season, you just can’t turn the ball over. He knows that, but he’s still doing it right now. But we still want him to be aggressive.” Porter had 16 points and four assists with no turnovers in 19 minutes of action on Saturday.
Of course, the Bucks’ biggest deadline addition was Kyle Kuzma. Jamal Collier of ESPN explores what Kuzma has brought to the team and why general manager Jon Horst believes that the forward’s versatility will make Antetokounmpo and Lillard more dangerous.
As outlined in a report from The Associated Press, the Bucks are wearing patches on their jerseys for the rest of the season to honor Junior Bridgeman, the team’s minority owner and former player who died this past week.

Bucks Legend, Part Owner Junior Bridgeman Passes Away

March 11th, 2025 at 5:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

6:25pm: Commissioner Adam Silver issued a statement on Bridgeman’s passing:

“I am devastated to learn of the sudden passing of Junior Bridgeman. Junior was the ultimate entrepreneur who built on his impactful 12-year NBA playing career by becoming a highly respected and successful business leader. He served as a mentor to generations of NBA players and athletes across sports who were eager to learn from him about what it takes to thrive in the business world.

“Junior was a dedicated member of the NBA family for 50 years – most recently as a minority owner of the Milwaukee Bucks, an investor in NBA Africa and as a player who set the standard for representing the league and our game with class and dignity. We express our heartfelt condolences to Junior’s wife, Doris, their children, Eden, Justin and Ryan, the Bucks organization, and his many friends and admirers in the basketball community.”

5:57pm: Bucks legend and minority owner Junior Bridgeman died after suffering a medical emergency in Louisville on Tuesday, WHAS11.com reports.

Bridgeman, 71, was speaking during an event at the Galt House in downtown Louisville when he collapsed. He was heard telling someone he thought he was having a heart attack.

Bridgeman was a collegiate star at Louisville, leading the Cardinals to the 1975 national championship game. He had a lengthy NBA career, spanning from 1975-87. The Lakers selected him with the eighth overall pick of the draft but he was traded weeks later in the deal that brought Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Los Angeles.

A sixth man for most of his career, Bridgeman averaged 13.6 points in 849 games. Bridgeman spent most of his career with Milwaukee but also had a two-year stint with the Clippers.

Bridgeman became an extremely successful businessman after his playing career, amassing a reported net worth of over $600MM. Bridgeman purchased a 10% stake in the Bucks franchise last September. He paid approximately $340MM for his minority share.

The Bucks organization issued the following statement:

“The Milwaukee Bucks are shocked and saddened by the tragic passing of Bucks legend and owner Junior Bridgeman. Junior’s retired No. 2 jersey hangs in Fiserv Forum, serving as a constant remembrance of his outstanding play on the court and his impact on the Bucks’ success. His hard work and perseverance led him to become one of the nation’s top business leaders and, last September, Junior’s professional life came full circle when he returned to the Bucks family as an owner. His memory will always be an inspiration to the Bucks organization. We are heartbroken by Junior’s passing and we send our deepest condolences to his wife, Doris, his children, Eden, Justin, and Ryan, his entire family and all those close to him.”

Hoops Rumors sends its condolences to the Bridgeman family.

Junior Bridgeman Purchases 10% Stake In Bucks

September 26th, 2024 at 11:15am CST by Rory Maher

SEPTEMBER 26: Bridgeman has officially become a part-owner of the Bucks, the team confirmed in a press release (Twitter link via Eric Nehm of The Athletic).

“I’m overjoyed to return to the Bucks, where I spent the heart of my NBA playing career, to join their world-class ownership group,” Bridgeman said. “… I hope that my life journey serves as an aspiration to current and future players who dream of joining an NBA ownership group. I look forward to cheering the Bucks on this season alongside our great fans.”

SEPTEMBER 12: Junior Bridgeman, who played 12 NBA seasons from 1975-87, including 10 in Milwaukee, is purchasing a 10% stake in the Bucks, three sources familiar with the deal tell Michael Ozanian and Jessica Golden of CNBC.

According to CNBC’s report, the transaction values the Bucks at $4 billion but Bridgeman is receiving a “preferred limited partner discount” of 15%, or a $3.4 billion valuation. That means Bridgeman will pay approximately $340MM for his minority share.

Bridgeman, who turns 71 years old next week, starred in college at Louisville prior to being selected No. 8 overall in the 1975 draft. The 6’5″ wing averaged 13.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 47.5% from the floor and 84.6% from the line in 849 regular season games with the Bucks and Clippers (25.0 minutes per contest).

In late July, Baxter Holmes of ESPN wrote a feature story on Bridgeman and how he has built his wealth over the years. Bridgeman earned a total of just under $3MM in salaries during his playing career and has been extremely successful as a businessman, with a net worth of nearly $600MM.

As Ozanian and Golden observe, when the Haslam Sports Group purchased its 25% stake in the Bucks in April 2023, the team was valued at $3.2 billion. This new deal — which is the first time a portion of a team has been sold since the media rights agreements were announced — shows the franchise continues to increase in value.

Bridgeman was rumored to be interested in buying a stake in the Bucks back in 2014. His No. 2 jersey was retired by the Bucks in 1988.

Goodwill’s Latest: ’20/21 Schedule, Holiday, Nuggets, Raptors

October 21st, 2020 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA is eyeing Martin Luther King Day (January 18) as a potential start date for the 2020/21 regular season, sources tell Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. According to Goodwill, the league still isn’t ruling out the possibility of a Christmas Day start, but recognizes that MLK Day may be a more realistic target, especially if it wants to have any chance of getting fans back in arenas for opening night.

There’s no guarantee that the season will start by January 18, but the NBA would like to get back to its typical October-to-June calendar for the 2021/22 season if possible, says Goodwill. The league will give teams and players eight weeks of notice before the start of next season.

Here’s more from Goodwill:

It remains to be seen whether the Pelicans will seriously consider trading Jrue Holiday this offseason, but many teams think trimming salary will be a priority for New Orleans, per Goodwill, and if Holiday’s available, he’s expected to be a popular target. Sources tell Yahoo Sports that about 10 teams have inquired on the veteran guard, with the Nuggets expected to be his most aggressive suitors.
One issue the NBA will have to resolve for the 2020/21 season is where the Raptors will play if teams return to their respective home arenas. Assuming there are still restrictions in place on travel between the U.S. and Canada by the time the NBA season begins, the team could end up sharing another NBA market or even playing in Louisville, says Goodwill. The city of Louisville has an NBA-ready arena, and businessman and former NBA player Junior Bridgeman has been in contact with the league about the possibility, Goodwill adds.
The Raptors’ situation is one of a handful of items to be discussed on a Board of Governors call this Friday, along with the Collective Bargaining Agreement and competitive formats for next season, Goodwill writes.

Bucks Notes: Ownership, Hammond, Drew

May 29th, 2014 at 10:02pm CST by Chuck Myron

New Bucks owners Wesley Edens and Marc Lasry have met with candidates to buy minority shares in the team, and they hope to add five to 10 new investors, reports Don Walker of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Former Bucks player Junior Bridgeman and Milwaukee businessman Ted Kellner are candidates, Walker hears, and Lasry acknowledged Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s desire to get in the mix, tweets Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times. Here’s more on the Bucks and the rest of the Central Division:

Edens appears to have assumed the role of primary owner, as he’ll represent the Bucks on the Board of Governors, Gardner notes (Twitter link).
Edens and Lasry spoke of their support for GM John Hammond and coach Larry Drew, but the owners stopped short of guaranteeing their long-term futures with the club, Journal Sentinel scribe Charles F. Gardner reports. Edens said previously that Hammond will remain with the Bucks at least through the draft.
The Bucks will work out a handful of big man prospects tomorrow, including former Marquette standout Davante Gardner, per Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times (Twitter link).

Ryan Raroque contributed to this post.

Central Notes: Irving, Billups, Bucks

February 25th, 2014 at 1:45pm CST by Chuck Myron

Kyrie Irving denies that he wants out of Cleveland, but those close to him have long made it known that he’d like to play elsewhere, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. Some members of the Cavs organization aren’t sure that he’s deserving of a maximum-salary contract, though it’s likely that Cleveland will seek to extend Irving this summer and make him its Designated Player, Windhorst writes. The starting salary in such a deal would have to be for the max. Irving may prefer to sign a shorter deal that gives him the ability to opt out and hit unrestricted free agency more quickly, as Windhorst examines in a piece that looks forward to what promises to be one of the offseason’s marquee story lines. Here’s more from the Central Division:

Chauncey Billups hopes to make it back from a torn left meniscus this season, but he acknowledges the injury may prompt him to retire, MLive’s David Mayo observes. The Pistons hold a team option worth $2.5MM for the final season of their contract with Billups next year.
Former Bucks swingman Junior Bridgeman is interested in buying a minority stake in the team, reports Don Walker of the Journal Sentinel, who adds that the Bucks are high on the idea, too. Owner Herb Kohl has been seeking investors willing to buy minority shares of the team. Bridgeman owns a share of the Kings that he would have to divest before buying into the Bucks.
Mike D’Antoni spoke to Pacers assistant coach Nate McMillan about a gig on the Lakers staff before he took his job with Indiana, as McMillan tells Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.