Junior Bridgeman, who began his career with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1975 after being drafted eighth overall out of Louisville, is once again reuniting with his former team. The 70-year-old NBA player turned businessman is set to purchase a 10 percent stake in the Bucks, according to CNBC Sport.
As part of this deal, Bridgeman will get a preferred limited partner discount to purchase his ownership stake in the team he spent 10 of his 12 NBA seasons with. This transaction involving the owner of Ebony and Jet Magazines is set to value the Bucks franchise around $4 billion in total.
At this time, there has been no confirmation from the Bucks or Bridgeman on the ownership stake being sold, yet CNBC Sport reports that NBA owners will be notified on Thursday about the transaction.
Over the course of his 12 years in the league, Bridgeman spent a decade with the Bucks. There, he averaged 13.9 points and 3.7 rebounds in 711 total games. During his first nine seasons with the Bucks, Bridgeman helped take this franchise to the Eastern Conference Semifinals six different times, including two trips to the Eastern Conference Finals in 1983 and 1984.
Although Bridgeman left the Bucks following the 1983-84 season to play for the Los Angeles Clippers, he returned to Milwaukee for his final NBA season in 1986.
It should not come as a shock to see the valuation of the Bucks at $4 billion, nor should it be surprising to see interest in this organization rising. The Bucks have been one of the league's most successful teams in recent years, and that is a direct result of Giannis Antetokounmpo's presence.
Leading the Bucks to their second championship in 2021, Giannis has become one of the faces of the NBA. He has been an All-Star each of the last eight seasons, and the two-time MVP has led the Bucks to eight straight playoff appearances. Every season, the Bucks are among the favorites to win the Eastern Conference because of Antetokounmpo. Now that Damian Lillard is a part of the team, the attention being cast upon Milwaukee has grown.
Ahead of the 2024-25 NBA season, the Bucks are once again near the top of the totem pole in the Eastern Conference. This new season will mark Doc Rivers' first full season as the head coach of the team after taking over for Adrian Griffin during the 2023-24 season.
The Bucks finished last year with a 49-33 record, losing in the first round of the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
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