Bucks will wear jersey patches honoring Junior Bridgeman for rest of season

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks are wearing patches on their jerseys for the rest of the season to honor minority owner Junior Bridgeman, a former Bucks player who died Tuesday at the age of 71.

The Bucks also planned to hold a moment of silence before Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers to honor Bridgeman. A video celebrating Bridgeman’s life is scheduled to air during a first-quarter timeout.

Bridgeman played for the Bucks from 1975-84 and again in 1986-87. His 711 games played for the Bucks rank third in franchise history, behind only Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton. Bridgeman’s No. 2 jersey hangs from the Fiserv Forum rafters.

After his playing days, Bridgeman had even more success as a businessman. He bought a 10% stake in the Bucks last summer and was estimated as a billionaire by Forbes earlier this year.

The Lakers actually drafted Bridgeman out of Louisville with the No. 8 overall pick in 1975, but he never played a game for them. The Lakers sent him to Milwaukee as part of the package in a blockbuster trade that brought Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Los Angeles.

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