{"id":20651,"date":"2021-05-30T01:50:14","date_gmt":"2021-05-30T06:50:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/?p=20651"},"modified":"2021-05-30T01:50:14","modified_gmt":"2021-05-30T06:50:14","slug":"louisville-businessman-junior-bridgeman-investing-in-new-nba-effort","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/?p=20651","title":{"rendered":"Louisville businessman Junior Bridgeman investing in new NBA effort"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"sticker-boundary\">\n<div class=\"container container--wide\">\n<div class=\"detail\">\n<header class=\"detail__header x-detail__header\">\n<div class=\"post-header-v3 default signup-anchor\">\n<div class=\"post-header-v3__headline-wrap sticky-anchor single-v3__container\">\n<h1 class=\"post-header-v3__headline rare-headline single-v3__max-container\">How Junior Bridgeman Became The 2nd Richest NBA Player Ever<time datetime=\"&lt;span class=&quot;localtime&quot; data-ltformat=&quot;F j, Y&quot; data-lttime=&quot;&lt;span class=&quot;localtime&quot; data-ltformat=&quot;c&quot; data-lttime=&quot;2021-02-12T17:17:47+00:00&quot;&gt;2021-02-12T17:17:47+00:00&lt;\/span&gt;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;localtime&quot; data-ltformat=&quot;F j, Y&quot; data-lttime=&quot;2021-02-12T17:17:47+00:00&quot;&gt;February 12, 2021&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt; &lt;span class=&quot;localtime&quot; data-ltformat=&quot;g:i a&quot; data-lttime=&quot;2021-02-12T17:17:47+00:00&quot;&gt;12:17 pm&lt;\/span&gt;\"><\/time><br \/>\n<time datetime=\"&lt;span class=&quot;localtime&quot; data-ltformat=&quot;F j, Y&quot; data-lttime=&quot;&lt;span class=&quot;localtime&quot; data-ltformat=&quot;c&quot; data-lttime=&quot;2021-02-12T17:17:47+00:00&quot;&gt;2021-02-12T17:17:47+00:00&lt;\/span&gt;&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;localtime&quot; data-ltformat=&quot;F j, Y&quot; data-lttime=&quot;2021-02-12T17:17:47+00:00&quot;&gt;February 12, 2021&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;\/span&gt; &lt;span class=&quot;localtime&quot; data-ltformat=&quot;g:i a&quot; data-lttime=&quot;2021-02-12T17:17:47+00:00&quot;&gt;12:17 pm&lt;\/span&gt;\"><\/time><\/h1>\n<div class=\"css-1dbjc4n r-18u37iz r-1wbh5a2\">\n<div class=\"css-901oao css-bfa6kz r-m0bqgq r-18u37iz r-1qd0xha r-a023e6 r-16dba41 r-rjixqe r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0\" dir=\"ltr\"><strong><span class=\"css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0\">@JuniorBridgeman<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"single-v3__container\">\n<div class=\"single-v3__max-container\">\n<article class=\"post-body-v3\">\n<div class=\"post-body-v3__image-wrap\"><strong><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fanbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2021\/02\/Junior-Bridgeman.png?w=1200&amp;h=800&amp;crop=1\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/fanbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2021\/02\/Junior-Bridgeman.png 1200w, https:\/\/fanbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2021\/02\/Junior-Bridgeman.png?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/fanbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2021\/02\/Junior-Bridgeman.png?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/fanbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2021\/02\/Junior-Bridgeman.png?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/fanbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2021\/02\/Junior-Bridgeman.png?resize=260,173 260w, https:\/\/fanbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2021\/02\/Junior-Bridgeman.png?resize=891,594 891w, https:\/\/fanbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2021\/02\/Junior-Bridgeman.png?resize=935,623 935w\" alt=\"How Junior Bridgeman Became The 2nd Richest NBA Player Ever\" \/><\/strong><\/div>\n<div class=\"post-body-v3__text\">\n<h1 id=\"firstHeading\" class=\"firstHeading\"><strong>Junior Bridgeman- THE COCA COLA PARTNERSHIP<\/strong><\/h1>\n<div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid ts-row-wide\">\n<div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<p><strong><span id=\"E229\" class=\"qowt-font6-Arial\">Heartland Coca-Cola is proud to<\/span><span id=\"E230\" class=\"qowt-font6-Arial\"> distribute and produce the <\/span><span id=\"E231\" class=\"qowt-font6-Arial\">highest quality and best tasting<\/span><span id=\"E232\" class=\"qowt-font6-Arial\"> Coca-Cola<\/span><span id=\"E233\" class=\"qowt-font6-Arial\"> beverages<\/span><span id=\"E234\" class=\"qowt-font6-Arial\">. <\/span><span id=\"E235\" class=\"qowt-font6-Arial\">In addition to these products we also distribute products from Monster Energy and <\/span><span class=\"qowt-font6-Arial\">BODYARMOR, and Dr. Pepper in certain areas of our territories.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><span id=\"E237\" class=\"qowt-font6-Arial\"><\/span><span id=\"E239\" class=\"qowt-font6-Arial\">.<\/span><span id=\"E240\" class=\"qowt-font6-Arial\"><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid ts-row-wide\">\n<div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-4\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wpb_single_image wpb_content_element vc_align_left\">\n<figure class=\"wpb_wrapper vc_figure\"><strong><a class=\"vc_single_image-wrapper vc_box_border_grey\" href=\"https:\/\/www.coca-colacompany.com\/brands\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"vc_single_image-img attachment-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heartlandcocacola.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/cocacola.png\" sizes=\"(max-width: 881px) 100vw, 881px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.heartlandcocacola.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/cocacola.png 881w, https:\/\/www.heartlandcocacola.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/cocacola-300x136.png 300w, https:\/\/www.heartlandcocacola.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/cocacola-768x349.png 768w, https:\/\/www.heartlandcocacola.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/cocacola-500x227.png 500w, https:\/\/www.heartlandcocacola.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/cocacola-800x363.png 800w\" alt=\"\" width=\"881\" height=\"400\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-4\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wpb_single_image wpb_content_element vc_align_left\">\n<figure class=\"wpb_wrapper vc_figure\"><strong><a class=\"vc_single_image-wrapper vc_box_border_grey\" href=\"https:\/\/www.monsterenergy.com\/us\/en\/products\/monster-energy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"vc_single_image-img attachment-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heartlandcocacola.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/monster-1.png\" sizes=\"(max-width: 881px) 100vw, 881px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.heartlandcocacola.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/monster-1.png 881w, https:\/\/www.heartlandcocacola.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/monster-1-300x136.png 300w, https:\/\/www.heartlandcocacola.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/monster-1-768x349.png 768w, https:\/\/www.heartlandcocacola.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/monster-1-500x227.png 500w, https:\/\/www.heartlandcocacola.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/monster-1-800x363.png 800w\" alt=\"\" width=\"881\" height=\"400\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-4\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wpb_single_image wpb_content_element vc_align_left\">\n<figure class=\"wpb_wrapper vc_figure\"><strong><a class=\"vc_single_image-wrapper vc_box_border_grey\" href=\"https:\/\/www.drinkbodyarmor.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"vc_single_image-img attachment-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heartlandcocacola.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/bodyarmor-1.png\" sizes=\"(max-width: 881px) 100vw, 881px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.heartlandcocacola.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/bodyarmor-1.png 881w, https:\/\/www.heartlandcocacola.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/bodyarmor-1-300x136.png 300w, https:\/\/www.heartlandcocacola.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/bodyarmor-1-768x349.png 768w, https:\/\/www.heartlandcocacola.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/bodyarmor-1-500x227.png 500w, https:\/\/www.heartlandcocacola.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/bodyarmor-1-800x363.png 800w\" alt=\"\" width=\"881\" height=\"400\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid heartland_products ts-row-wide\">\n<div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-3\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"item\">\n<p><strong><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heartlandcocacola.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/1coke.png\" alt=\"Coca-Cola\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"product-title\"><strong>Coca-Cola<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"product-desc\"><strong>Coca-Cola is the most popular soft drink in history, as well as the best-known brand in the world.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a class=\"btn btn-gray\" href=\"https:\/\/www.coca-colaproductfacts.com\/en\/products\/coca-cola\/original\/12-oz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Details &amp; Nutrition<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-3\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"item\">\n<p><strong><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heartlandcocacola.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/powerade.png\" alt=\"Powerade\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"product-title\"><strong>Powerade<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"product-desc\"><strong>Naturally flavored sports drink with vitamins B3, B6, and B12. POWERADE is available in ten flavors: Mountain Berry Blast, Fruit Punch, Lemon-Lime, Orange, Strawberry Lemonade, Melon, White Cherry, Lemonade, Tropical Mango and Grape.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a class=\"btn btn-gray\" href=\"https:\/\/www.coca-colaproductfacts.com\/en\/products\/powerade\/mountain-berry-blast\/20-oz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Details &amp; Nutrition<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-3\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"item\">\n<p><strong><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heartlandcocacola.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/vitaminwater.png\" alt=\"Vitamin Water\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"product-title\"><strong>Vitamin Water<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"product-desc\"><strong>Vitaminwater is a great tasting, nutrient enhanced water beverage with electrolytes and vitamins. It provides an excellent source of C and key B vitamins. Vitaminwater is available in nine varieties.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-3\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"item\">\n<p><strong><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heartlandcocacola.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/5dasani.png\" alt=\"Dasani\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"product-title\"><strong>Dasani<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"product-desc\"><strong>DASANI is purified water enhanced with minerals for a pure, fresh taste.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a class=\"btn btn-gray\" href=\"http:\/\/www.coca-colaproductfacts.com\/en\/coca-cola-products\/dasani\/original\/20-oz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Details &amp; Nutrition<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid heartland_products ts-row-wide\">\n<div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-3\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"item\">\n<p><strong><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heartlandcocacola.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/smartwater.png\" alt=\"smartwater\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"product-title\"><strong>smartwater<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"product-desc\"><strong>Inspired by the clouds, smartwater is a vapor-distilled water with electrolytes added for taste.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a class=\"btn btn-gray\" href=\"https:\/\/www.coca-colaproductfacts.com\/en\/products\/glaceau-smartwater\/original\/1-liter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Details &amp; Nutrition<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-3\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"item\">\n<p><strong><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heartlandcocacola.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/AhaCan200x500.jpg\" alt=\"AHA Sparkling Water\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"product-title\"><strong>AHA Sparkling Water<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"product-desc\"><strong>AHA Sparkling Water is available in 8 delicious flavor pairings that each have a bold aroma and taste, all with no sweeteners, no calories and no sodium. Some even have a spark of caffeine!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a class=\"btn btn-gray\" href=\"https:\/\/www.drinkaha.com\/products\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Details &amp; Nutrition<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-3\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"item\">\n<p><strong><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heartlandcocacola.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/goldpeak.png\" alt=\"Gold Peak Tea\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"product-title\"><strong>Gold Peak Tea<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"product-desc\"><strong>Gold Peak Tea is made with high quality tea leaves picked for peak flavor &#8211; with a home-brewed taste you&#8217;ll love.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a class=\"btn btn-gray\" href=\"https:\/\/www.coca-colaproductfacts.com\/en\/products\/gold-peak-tea\/sweetened\/16-9-oz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Details &amp; Nutrition<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-3\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"item\">\n<p><strong><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heartlandcocacola.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/minutemaid.png\" alt=\"Minute Maid\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"product-title\"><strong>Minute Maid<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"product-desc\"><strong>Minute Maid orange juice and orange juice blends start with the goodness of perfectly ripe, fresh oranges for delicious taste, and they&#8217;re a good source of vitamin C, folate and potassium. That way you can always feel good about what&#8217;s in your glass.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a class=\"btn btn-gray\" href=\"https:\/\/www.coca-colaproductfacts.com\/en\/products\/minute-maid-orange-juice\/original\/12-oz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Details &amp; Nutrition<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid heartland_products ts-row-wide\">\n<div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-3\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"item\">\n<p><strong><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heartlandcocacola.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/HubertsLemonade200x500.jpg\" alt=\"Hubert\u2019s Lemonade\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"product-title\"><strong>Hubert\u2019s Lemonade<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"product-desc\"><strong>These tasty sun-ripened lemons were squeezed to please and blended to create the perfect refreshingly irresistible balance of sweet, tart and delicious. Of course, our lemonade is also Non-GMO Project Verified.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a class=\"btn btn-gray\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vebatcoke.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Details &amp; Nutrition<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-3\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"item\">\n<p><strong><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heartlandcocacola.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/monster.png\" alt=\"Monster Energy\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"product-title\"><strong>Monster Energy<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"product-desc\"><strong>Tear into a can of the meanest energy drink on the planet, Monster Energy. It`s the ideal combo of the right ingredients in the right proportion to deliver the big bad buzz that only Monster can. Monster packs a powerful punch but has a smooth flavor.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a class=\"btn btn-gray\" href=\"https:\/\/www.monsterenergy.com\/us\/en\/products\/monster-energy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Details &amp; Nutrition<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-3\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"item\">\n<p><strong><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heartlandcocacola.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/bodyarmor200x500.jpg\" alt=\"BODYARMOR\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"product-title\"><strong>BODYARMOR<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"product-desc\"><strong>A refreshing sports drink, no artificial sweeteners or dyes, also available in a Lyte version or a sports water.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a class=\"btn btn-gray\" href=\"https:\/\/www.drinkbodyarmor.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Details &amp; Nutrition<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-3\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-8\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<p><strong>On April 20, 2016, The Coca-Cola Company announced that it had signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to grant territories to the Coca-Cola system\u2019s newest bottling partner, Junior Bridgeman. This began the exciting journey of the Heartland Coca-Cola Bottling Company.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Junior Bridgeman\u2019s relationship with Coca-Cola began over thirty years ago when he was playing basketball for the Milwaukee Bucks. During the off season he would volunteer at local basketball clinics sponsored by Coke. Giving back to the community has always been very important to him.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Bridgeman retired from the NBA in 1987 after 12 successful years in the league. He played in 711 games for the Bucks, still the most in franchise history. Junior then established his business interests by purchasing three Wendy\u2019s franchises. He worked all facets of the business from flipping burgers to mopping the floors. He recognized very early that the key to a successful business was to take care of your people and your customers.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>He went on to become the founder of a Louisville, Kentucky, company named Manna Inc., and grew his portfolio of businesses to become one of the largest restaurant franchise operators in the country. As you might expect, Junior\u2019s restaurants were a great partner with Coca-Cola.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Junior took his relationship with Coca-Cola one step further with the formation of the Heartland Coca-Cola Bottling Company on February 25, 2017. The company services the Kansas, Missouri, and Southern Illinois territories.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Heartland Coca-Cola Bottling Company will continue the 100+ year traditions of the Coca-Cola Company while leveraging our heritage of putting people first, serving our local communities, and providing great brands.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"bodyContent\" class=\"vector-body\">\n<div id=\"mw-content-text\" class=\"mw-body-content mw-content-ltr\" dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">\n<div class=\"mw-parser-output\">\n<table class=\"infobox vcard\">\n<caption class=\"infobox-title fn summary\"><strong>Junior Bridgeman<\/strong><\/caption>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-header\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Personal information<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-label\" scope=\"row\"><strong>Born<\/strong><\/th>\n<td class=\"infobox-data\"><strong>September 17, 1953<span class=\"noprint ForceAgeToShow\"> (age\u00a067)<\/span><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><a title=\"East Chicago, Indiana\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/East_Chicago,_Indiana\">East Chicago, Indiana<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-label\" scope=\"row\"><strong>Nationality<\/strong><\/th>\n<td class=\"infobox-data\"><strong>American<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-label\" scope=\"row\"><strong>Listed height<\/strong><\/th>\n<td class=\"infobox-data\"><strong>6\u00a0ft 5\u00a0in (1.96\u00a0m)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-label\" scope=\"row\"><strong>Listed weight<\/strong><\/th>\n<td class=\"infobox-data\"><strong>210\u00a0lb (95\u00a0kg)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-header\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Career information<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-label\" scope=\"row\"><strong>High school<\/strong><\/th>\n<td class=\"infobox-data plainlist\"><strong><span class=\"nowrap\"><a title=\"Washington High School (East Chicago, Indiana)\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Washington_High_School_(East_Chicago,_Indiana)\">Washington<\/a> (East Chicago, Indiana)<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-label\" scope=\"row\"><strong>College<\/strong><\/th>\n<td class=\"infobox-data plainlist\"><strong><a title=\"Louisville Cardinals men's basketball\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Louisville_Cardinals_men%27s_basketball\">Louisville<\/a> (1972\u20131975)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-label\" scope=\"row\"><strong><a title=\"NBA draft\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/NBA_draft\">NBA draft<\/a><\/strong><\/th>\n<td class=\"infobox-data\"><strong><a title=\"1975 NBA draft\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/1975_NBA_draft\">1975<\/a> \/ Round: 1 \/ Pick: 8th overall<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"infobox-full-data\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Selected by the <a title=\"Los Angeles Lakers\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Los_Angeles_Lakers\">Los Angeles Lakers<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-label\" scope=\"row\"><strong>Playing career<\/strong><\/th>\n<td class=\"infobox-data\"><strong>1975\u20131987<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-label\" scope=\"row\"><strong>Position<\/strong><\/th>\n<td class=\"infobox-data\"><strong><a title=\"Small forward\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Small_forward\">Small forward<\/a> \/ <a title=\"Shooting guard\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Shooting_guard\">Shooting guard<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-label\" scope=\"row\"><strong>Number<\/strong><\/th>\n<td class=\"infobox-data\"><strong>2<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-header\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Career history<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-label\" scope=\"row\"><strong><a title=\"1975\u201376 NBA season\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/1975%E2%80%9376_NBA_season\">1975<\/a>\u2013<a title=\"1983\u201384 NBA season\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/1983%E2%80%9384_NBA_season\">1984<\/a><\/strong><\/th>\n<td class=\"infobox-data\"><strong><a title=\"Milwaukee Bucks\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Milwaukee_Bucks\">Milwaukee Bucks<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-label\" scope=\"row\"><strong><a title=\"1984\u201385 NBA season\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/1984%E2%80%9385_NBA_season\">1984<\/a>\u2013<a title=\"1985\u201386 NBA season\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/1985%E2%80%9386_NBA_season\">1986<\/a><\/strong><\/th>\n<td class=\"infobox-data\"><strong><a title=\"Los Angeles Clippers\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Los_Angeles_Clippers\">Los Angeles Clippers<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-label\" scope=\"row\"><strong><a title=\"1986\u201387 NBA season\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/1986%E2%80%9387_NBA_season\">1986\u20131987<\/a><\/strong><\/th>\n<td class=\"infobox-data\"><strong>Milwaukee Bucks<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-header\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Career highlights and awards<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"infobox-full-data\" colspan=\"2\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>No. 2 <a title=\"Milwaukee Bucks\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Milwaukee_Bucks#Retired_numbers\">retired by Milwaukee Bucks<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Second-team <a title=\"NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/NCAA_Men%27s_Basketball_All-Americans\">All-American<\/a> \u2013 <a title=\"United States Basketball Writers Association\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_States_Basketball_Writers_Association\">USBWA<\/a> (<a title=\"1975 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/1975_NCAA_Men%27s_Basketball_All-Americans\">1975<\/a>)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Third-team All-American \u2013 <a title=\"United Press International\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_Press_International\">UPI<\/a> (1975)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>2\u00d7 <a title=\"Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Missouri_Valley_Conference_Men%27s_Basketball_Player_of_the_Year\">MVC Player of the Year<\/a> (1974, 1975)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a title=\"Coach Wooden &quot;Keys to Life&quot; Award\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Coach_Wooden_%22Keys_to_Life%22_Award\">Coach Wooden &#8220;Keys to Life&#8221; Award<\/a> (2001)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-header\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Career statistics<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-label\" scope=\"row\"><strong><a title=\"Point (basketball)\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Point_(basketball)\">Points<\/a><\/strong><\/th>\n<td class=\"infobox-data\"><strong>11,517 (13.6 ppg)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-label\" scope=\"row\"><strong><a title=\"Rebound (basketball)\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rebound_(basketball)\">Rebounds<\/a><\/strong><\/th>\n<td class=\"infobox-data\"><strong>2,995 (3.5 rpg)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"infobox-label\" scope=\"row\"><strong><a title=\"Assist (basketball)\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Assist_(basketball)\">Assists<\/a><\/strong><\/th>\n<td class=\"infobox-data\"><strong>2,066 (2.4 apg)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"infobox-full-data\" colspan=\"2\"><strong><a class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/player\/76252\" rel=\"nofollow\">Stats<\/a>\u00a0<a title=\"Edit this at Wikidata\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/wiki\/Q924575#P3647\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/en\/thumb\/8\/8a\/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg\/10px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png\" srcset=\"\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/en\/thumb\/8\/8a\/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg\/15px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png 1.5x, \/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/en\/thumb\/8\/8a\/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg\/20px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png 2x\" alt=\"Edit this at Wikidata\" width=\"10\" height=\"10\" data-file-width=\"20\" data-file-height=\"20\" \/><\/a> at NBA.com<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"infobox-full-data\" colspan=\"2\"><strong><a class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/bridgju01.html\" rel=\"nofollow\">Stats<\/a> at Basketball-Reference.com<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-19083\" src=\"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Junior-Bridgeman_Headshot_Square_2020.06.30-360x360-1-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Junior-Bridgeman_Headshot_Square_2020.06.30-360x360-1-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Junior-Bridgeman_Headshot_Square_2020.06.30-360x360-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Junior-Bridgeman_Headshot_Square_2020.06.30-360x360-1.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Ulysses Lee &#8220;Junior&#8221; Bridgeman (born September 17, 1953) is an <a title=\"Americans\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Americans\">American<\/a> businessman and former professional <a title=\"Basketball\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Basketball\">basketball<\/a> player. Bridgeman played in the National Basketball League (NBA) for twelve years from 1975 until 1987, beginning with the <a title=\"Milwaukee Bucks\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Milwaukee_Bucks\">Milwaukee Bucks<\/a>. Bridgeman is the current owner of <i><a title=\"Ebony (magazine)\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ebony_(magazine)\">Ebony<\/a><\/i> and <i><a title=\"Jet (magazine)\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jet_(magazine)\">Jet<\/a><\/i> magazines.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>The list of the <a href=\"https:\/\/clutchpoints.com\/taking-a-look-at-the-20-richest-nba-players-in-history\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">richest players in NBA history<\/a> is topped by the usual suspects.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/fanbuzz.com\/nba\/michael-jordan-net-worth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Michael Jordan<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/fanbuzz.com\/nba\/magic-johnson-net-worth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Magic Johnson<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/fanbuzz.com\/nba\/kobe-bryant-last-game\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kobe Bryant<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/fanbuzz.com\/nba\/lebron-james-net-worth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">LeBron James<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/fanbuzz.com\/nba\/shaquille-o-neal-net-worth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shaquille O\u2019Neal<\/a> occupy a place among the game\u2019s all-time greats while also possessing the largest bank accounts.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>At No. 2, behind MJ, is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/the-magazine\/junior-bridgeman-goat-status\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Junior Bridgeman<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Bridgeman isn\u2019t in the same class as these legends on the court. That isn\u2019t to say he was a bad player. In fact, he was solid.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>His offseasons were a bit odd for an <a href=\"https:\/\/fanbuzz.com\/nba\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NBA<\/a> player. He spent them working at the local <a href=\"https:\/\/rare.us\/rare-news\/florida-man-wendys\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wendy\u2019s<\/a> restaurant, learning the business inside and out.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>It was the launching point of an astounding fortune.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Junior Bridgeman Basketball Career<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Junior Bridgeman (22pts, 11\/14 FG) vs. Nuggets (1978 Playoffs)\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/7l88yh07Fj4?feature=oembed\" width=\"616\" height=\"462\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Ulysses Lee \u201cJunior\u201d Bridgeman was born in East Chicago, Indiana on September 17, 1953. His success at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bizjournals.com\/louisville\/blog\/2014\/08\/before-he-was-a-fast-food-magnate-junior-bridgeman.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Washington High School<\/a>, where the basketball\u00a0team went undefeated and won the Indiana state championship in his junior year, earned him a scholarship to the <a href=\"https:\/\/louisville.edu\/artsandsciences\/about\/hallofhonor\/inductees\/bridgeman.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">University of Louisville<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Under head coach Denny Crum, Bridgeman was the focal point of the Cardinals\u2019 attack. In three varsity seasons, he won the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year twice and led the team to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/boxscores\/1975-03-29-louisville.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">1975 Final Four<\/a>. UL fell to eventual champion UCLA 75-74.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>For his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/junior-bridgeman-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">college career<\/a>, the 6-foot-5 guard averaged 15.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.7 assists.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Bridgeman was the eighth-overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/draft\/NBA_1975.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">1975 NBA Draft<\/a>. He was barely a Laker before he was included in the huge trade that sent Milwaukee Bucks center <a href=\"https:\/\/fanbuzz.com\/nba\/kareem-abdul-jabbar-height\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kareem Abdul-Jabbar<\/a> to LA. Bridgeman joined the Bucks and played a majority of his career in Milwaukee.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"single-v3__container single-v3__container--flex infinite-ad\">\n<div id=\"\" class=\"flex-ad text-center homepage-standard__block\">\n<div class=\"flex-ad__wrap\">\n<div class=\"ad-holder\">\n<div id=\"htlad-7\" class=\"htl-ad\" data-unit=\"FAN_Desktop_Inline_Infinite\" data-prebid=\"FAN_Desktop_Inline_Infinite\" data-sizes=\"0x0:|768x0:300x250\" data-refresh=\"viewable\" data-refresh-secs=\"60\" data-eager=\"\">\n<div id=\"htlad-7-gpt\" class=\"htl-ad-gpt\">\n<div><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-16714\" src=\"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/JUNIOR-181x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"181\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/JUNIOR-181x300.jpg 181w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/JUNIOR-768x1273.jpg 768w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/JUNIOR-618x1024.jpg 618w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/JUNIOR.jpg 980w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 181px) 100vw, 181px\" \/><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong>\u2014 No. 2 Retired by Milwaukee Bucks<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>\u2014 Second-Team All-American \u2013 USBWA (1975)<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>\u2014 Third-Team All-American \u2013 UPI (1975)<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>\u2014 2x MVC Player of the Year<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>\u2014 Coach Wooden \u201cKeys to Life\u201d Award (2001)<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Bridgeman was a sixth man for most of his playing\u00a0career. He was traded from Milwaukee to the <a href=\"https:\/\/fanbuzz.com\/nba\/kawhi-leonard-net-worth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Los Angeles Clippers<\/a> in 1984. He played two years in LA before returning to Wisconsin and retiring with the Bucks in 1987.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/bridgju01.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">12 seasons<\/a>, Bridgeman averaged 13.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and shot 84.6 percent from the free-throw line.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Bridgeman\u2019s highest salary was $350,000, culminating in a total of $4,200,000 career earnings. He served as president of the <a href=\"https:\/\/nbpa.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Basketball Players Association<\/a> from 1985-88.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>The longtime Buck was inducted into the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.wihalloffame.com\/junior-bridgeman\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame<\/a> in 1999.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Junior Bridgeman Business Career<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Pro Files: Junior Bridgeman | Sports Illustrated\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LxIz0QWnR54?feature=oembed\" width=\"616\" height=\"347\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>After his NBA career, Bridgeman took that offseason experience and accelerated into the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/junior-bridgeman-used-fast-food-to-become-one-of-the-5-richest-former-athletes-in-the-world\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">business world<\/a>. He steadily built his portfolio of Wendy\u2019s franchises under Bridgeman Foods Inc. He added Chili\u2019s to the mix and the company eventually grew to more than 160 Wendy\u2019s and 120 Chili\u2019s restaurants.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>The former professional basketball player took on some Fazoli\u2019s and Blade\u2019s Pizza restaurant franchises as well. At its peak, the company employed over 11,000 people and brought in over $530 million in annual revenue. He sold in 2016.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Following major success in the fast-food business, Junior is now a bottler for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.coca-colacompany.com\/news\/conversation-with-bridgeman-president-of-heartland\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Coca-Cola Company<\/a>. He serves as the President and CEO of Heartland Coca-Cola and runs its production plant in Lenexa, Kansas, along with its 18 distribution centers with his son Justin.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Bridgeman serves on the <a href=\"https:\/\/thegolfwire.com\/123481-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PGA Board of Directors<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hoophall.com\/about\/about-hall\/board-governors-trustees\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame<\/a> board of governors, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.churchilldownsincorporated.com\/governance\/board-of-directors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Churchill Downs Inc.<\/a> board of directors.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article__head\">\n<div class=\"container container--wide hidden--print\">\n<div class=\"tools x-tools js-tools\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"container container--wide\">\n<div id=\"\" class=\"detail detail--mobile-reset\">\n<div class=\"sticker-boundary\">\n<div class=\"chunks js-chunks\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"chunk chunk--flex@lg\" data-v-61bf21cb=\"\">\n<div class=\"primary@lg u-has-tertiary\" data-v-61bf21cb=\"\">\n<div class=\"js-featured-media expand-to-tertiary\" data-v-61bf21cb=\"\">\n<div class=\"content__segment content__segment-cms-inline-element combx \" data-v-61bf21cb=\"\">\n<figure class=\"media media--featured media--featured--landscape\" data-ct=\"APT: View photos (featured photos)\" data-v-61bf21cb=\"\">\n<div class=\"media__media xs-only__expander sm-only__expander md-only__expander\">\n<div class=\"crop--16x9\">\n<div class=\"cropped\"><strong><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"media__img lazyload lazyload--auto-sizes is-loaded\" src=\"https:\/\/media.bizj.us\/view\/img\/3612741\/jrbridgeman20140827018*750xx1700-956-0-89.jpg\" sizes=\"738px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.bizj.us\/view\/img\/3612741\/jrbridgeman20140827018*750xx1700-956-0-89.jpg 750w, https:\/\/media.bizj.us\/view\/img\/3612741\/jrbridgeman20140827018*660xx1700-956-0-89.jpg 660w, https:\/\/media.bizj.us\/view\/img\/3612741\/jrbridgeman20140827018*480xx1700-956-0-89.jpg 480w, https:\/\/media.bizj.us\/view\/img\/3612741\/jrbridgeman20140827018*320xx1700-956-0-89.jpg 320w\" alt=\"Louisville businessman and basketball great Ulysses &quot;Junior&quot; Bridgeman is investing in the NBA's new NBA Africa effort.\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-src=\"https:\/\/media.bizj.us\/view\/img\/3612741\/jrbridgeman20140827018*750xx1700-956-0-89.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/media.bizj.us\/view\/img\/3612741\/jrbridgeman20140827018*750xx1700-956-0-89.jpg 750w, https:\/\/media.bizj.us\/view\/img\/3612741\/jrbridgeman20140827018*660xx1700-956-0-89.jpg 660w, https:\/\/media.bizj.us\/view\/img\/3612741\/jrbridgeman20140827018*480xx1700-956-0-89.jpg 480w, https:\/\/media.bizj.us\/view\/img\/3612741\/jrbridgeman20140827018*320xx1700-956-0-89.jpg 320w\" \/><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"><strong>The NBA today announced the formation of NBA Africa, a new entity that will conduct the league\u2019s business in Africa, including the Basketball Africa League.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-132 Component-p-0-2-123\"><strong>Silver said the current enterprise value of NBA Africa is \u201cnearly $1 billion,\u201d though amounts of the league and individual investments were not disclosed. The league said some of its primary areas of focus with the venture are to grow the BAL and to launch additional NBA academies in Africa.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-132 Component-p-0-2-123\"><strong>\u201cThe growth and development is something we\u2019re all enormously proud of,\u201d Silver said.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-132 Component-p-0-2-123\"><strong>There are at least 55 players currently in the NBA who were either born in Africa or have a parent from there.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-132 Component-p-0-2-123\"><strong>The NBA has played three summer exhibitions in Africa in recent years and there are hopes for more, but there are no firm plans yet to bring preseason or regular season games to the continent.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content cXenseParse\" data-v-61bf21cb=\"\">\n<p class=\"content__segment combx meterwall__content\"><strong>&#8220;Louisville businessman and basketball great Ulysses &#8220;Junior&#8221; Bridgeman&#8221;,\u00a0 is investing in the NBA&#8217;s new NBA Africa effort.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"content__segment combx meterwall__content\"><strong>This new entity will conduct the league\u2019s business in Africa, including the Basketball Africa League \u2013 a partnership between the NBA and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). It&#8217;s the NBA\u2019s first collaboration to operate a league outside of North America.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"content__segment combx meterwall__content\"><strong>Investors include former NBA players Dikembe Mutombo (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Luol Deng (South Sudan), Grant Hill and Joakim Noah.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"content__segment combx meterwall__content\"><strong>Bridgeman played his college years at the University of Louisville before spending most of his professional career with the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"content__segment combx meterwall__content\"><strong>He told Louisville Business First by phone Tuesday that he still knows a lot of people around the NBA and had been watching the league\u2019s expansion into China when he learned of the\u00a0plans for Africa.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"content__segment combx meterwall__content\"><strong>\u201cI had been over in China and saw what they were doing in China. They were really trying to make the game a real international game,\u201d Bridgeman said of the increased move by the NBA into other parts of the world.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"content__segment combx meterwall__content\"><strong>Taking the NBA global is something that appeals to Bridgeman, and he said discussions around becoming an investor started a few months ago.\u00a0He doesn\u2019t expect to be a highly active investor in NBA Africa, as the league is well-positioned to lead this effort, but he said his involvement could include trips to Africa as an ambassador for the initiative.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"content__segment combx meterwall__content\"><strong>\u201cI look forward to seeing what they\u2019re going to do on a new continent,\u201d he said. \u201cIt should be exciting.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"content__segment combx meterwall__content\"><strong>The inaugural Basketball Africa League season, featuring 12 of the top club teams from 12 African countries, is underway in Kigali, Rwanda. The first BAL Finals will be held Sunday, May 30.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"content__segment combx meterwall__content\"><strong>\u201cThis is a historic day for basketball in Africa, and I\u2019m honored to join this special group of leaders who are committed to the continent and to using the game to improve people\u2019s lives, Mutombo said in a news release. &#8220;I\u2019m fortunate to have been among the first players from Africa to make an impact in the NBA, and because of the commitment of these individuals, countless more players will have the opportunity to follow in my footsteps in the years ahead.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"content__segment combx meterwall__content\"><strong>Bridgeman became a fast-food restaurant magnate after retiring from the NBA in 1987. He sold his restaurant interests and in 2017 launched Kansas-based Heartland Coca-Cola Bottling Co. and has become one of the most successful former NBA players in the business world.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"content__segment combx meterwall__content\"><strong>Bridgeman Sports and Media, a company owned by Bridgeman, successfully bid $14 million for Ebony Media Operations in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Houston last year.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"content__segment combx meterwall__content\"><strong>He was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bizjournals.com\/louisville\/c\/power-50-unveiled\/14259\/power-50-junior-bridgeman.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">named to Louisville Business First&#8217;s inaugural Power 50 list <\/a>earlier this year.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"content__segment content__segment-cms-inline-element combx\">\n<div class=\"module ad--sponsored-by__container\">\n<div class=\"module__header cxenseignore\">\n<h2 class=\"module__title module__title--small\"><strong><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.bizjournals.com\/static\/img\/the-list-logo-sapphire.svg\" alt=\"The List\" height=\"16\" \/><\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"module__body cxenseignore\">\n<div class=\"native-item\">\n<div class=\"native-item__body cxenseignore\">\n<h3 class=\"item__title item__title--large cxenseignore\"><strong><a title=\"Louisville's Largest Minority-Owned Businesses\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bizjournals.com\/louisville\/subscriber-only\/2021\/01\/22\/louisvilles-largest-minority-owned.html\" data-ct=\"APT : List Tease Module : View List : Headline Link\"> Louisville&#8217;s Largest Minority-Owned Businesses <\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n<div class=\"item__subhead cxenseignore\"><strong>Ranked by Local employees: 2021<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex-row js-gpt-set\">\n<div class=\"flex-item flex-item--grow js-gpt-item\">\n<div id=\"l2_1\" class=\"gpt\" data-position=\"l2\" data-sizes=\"fluid\" data-mapping=\"[]\" data-params=\"{&quot;section&quot;:&quot;lists&quot;,&quot;listid&quot;:&quot;03700&quot;}\">\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"table-teaser\">\n<table class=\"table table--the-list\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th><strong>Rank<\/strong><\/th>\n<th><strong>Name<\/strong><\/th>\n<th><strong>Local employees: 2021<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"cxenseignore\">\n<td class=\"pinstripe-number-fill cxenseignore\"><strong><span class=\"pinstripe-number pinstripe-number--solid pinstripe-number--large\">1<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td class=\"cxenseignore\"><strong>Manna Inc.<\/strong><\/td>\n<td class=\"cxenseignore\"><strong>2,300<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"cxenseignore\">\n<td class=\"pinstripe-number-fill cxenseignore\"><strong><span class=\"pinstripe-number pinstripe-number--solid pinstripe-number--large\">2<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td class=\"cxenseignore\"><strong>KOPS Inc.<\/strong><\/td>\n<td class=\"cxenseignore\"><strong>249<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"cxenseignore\">\n<td class=\"pinstripe-number-fill cxenseignore\"><strong><span class=\"pinstripe-number pinstripe-number--solid pinstripe-number--large\">3<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<td class=\"cxenseignore\"><strong>Intec Building Services Inc.<\/strong><\/td>\n<td class=\"cxenseignore\"><strong>208<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"u-position-relative cxenseignore\" colspan=\"3\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"secondary@lg u-flex-justify-start\" data-v-61bf21cb=\"\">\n<aside class=\"inset inset--major hidden--print\" data-v-61bf21cb=\"\">\n<div class=\"x-module x-module-stack-l\" data-v-61bf21cb=\"\">\n<div class=\"ad-container ad-container--in-inset\" data-v-61bf21cb=\"\">\n<div id=\"c1_1\" class=\"gpt\" data-v-61bf21cb=\"\" data-position=\"c1\" data-sizes=\"[[300,600],[300,250],[320,50]]\" data-mapping=\"[[[300,600],[300,250]],[[300,600],[300,250]],[[300,250]]]\" data-params=\"{&quot;set&quot;:1,&quot;pos_info&quot;:&quot;c1a&quot;}\">\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"hidden--xs hidden--sm hidden--md\" data-v-61bf21cb=\"\">\n<div class=\"x-module x-module-stack-l\" data-v-61bf21cb=\"\">\n<div class=\"x-module__header\">\n<div class=\"x-module__title\">\n<h2 class=\"sans-serif x-module-t-zeta x-module-t-uppercase x-module-t-bolder\"><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x-module__body\">\n<div class=\"js-gpt-set\">\n<div class=\"js-gpt-item\">\n<div id=\"trending1_1\" class=\"gpt\" data-position=\"trending1\" data-sizes=\"[[1,1],&quot;fluid&quot;]\" data-mapping=\"[]\" data-params=\"{}\">\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"cx_a3bd54655eeff82c85564fb89e39f3f20ad2c2f0\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x-module__footer x-module__footer--sponsored hidden--print js-gpt-set\">\n<div class=\"js-gpt-item\">\n<div id=\"trending2_1\" class=\"gpt\" data-position=\"trending2\" data-sizes=\"[[1,1],&quot;fluid&quot;]\" data-mapping=\"[]\" data-params=\"{}\">\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"chunk chunk--flex@lg\" data-v-61bf21cb=\"\">\n<div class=\"primary@lg u-has-tertiary\" data-v-61bf21cb=\"\">\n<div class=\"content cXenseParse\" data-v-61bf21cb=\"\">\n<div class=\"content__segment content__segment-cms-inline-element combx\">\n<div class=\"module ad--sponsored-by__container\">\n<div class=\"module__body cxenseignore\">\n<div class=\"native-item\">\n<div class=\"native-item__body cxenseignore\">\n<h3 class=\"item__title item__title--large cxenseignore\"><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"table-teaser\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How Junior Bridgeman Became The 2nd Richest NBA Player Ever @JuniorBridgeman Junior Bridgeman- THE COCA COLA PARTNERSHIP Heartland Coca-Cola is proud to distribute and produce the highest quality and best tasting Coca-Cola beverages. In addition to these products we also distribute products from Monster Energy and BODYARMOR, and Dr. Pepper in certain areas of our [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15193,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[4182,2604,3002],"class_list":["post-20651","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-1953-age-67-east-chicago","tag-indiana-nationality-american-listed-height-6-ft-5-in-1-96-m-listed-weight-210-lb-95-kg-career-information-high-school-washington-east-chicago","tag-junior-bridgemanpersonal-information-born-september-17","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20651","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20651"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20651\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/15193"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20651"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20651"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20651"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}