Before moving out West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had already won a championship and secured three MVP honors in Milwaukee. However, after repeated failures at the biggest stage, The Captain finally requested a trade in 1974. It would take 8 months to finalize a trade for the superstar center as the final piece of the Lakers’ package arrived in the 1975 NBA Draft.
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Along with David Meyers, Elmore Smith, and Brian Winters, LA sent the draft’s 8th pick, Junior Bridgeman to Milwaukee, landing Abdul-Jabbar in return. As it turns out, the Lakers misled Bridgeman about their intentions, assuring the Louisville standout that his future was in Los Angeles.
Then-rookie Bridgeman was on a flight to Chicago when he read about the rumors tying Kareem to the Lakers. His attorney immediately confronted the front office and ownership, asking them to clarify their plans for the two-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year.
He recalled that the ownership assured them, “‘When we draft somebody, we want them to be a Laker for life, you know. We drafted you, we want you to be a Laker.’” But Bridgeman and his team were not convinced and they pushed for a clearer answer.
“And he finally, he said, ‘Well, if it happens, it will be a 1 in 4 chance.’ And that’s exactly what it was. Kareem for four players,” Junior Bridgeman revealed on the Bucks’ ‘Hear District’ podcast with Kris and Marques Johnson. The Indiana native also shared his feelings about the situation.
“At that time, all you wanted to do was have a chance to play. I told people, ‘I don’t care if they had a team in Anchorage, Alaska. I got a chance to play in the NBA, you know, I’m going to live up there,’” he explained. “You figured with a young team you’d have a chance to play, so in some ways, it kind of felt a little bit better than going to the Lakers.”
To be fair, Bridgeman doesn’t have much reason to be sour about the trade given how he leveraged his situation in Milwaukee.
Kareem succeeded on the court while Junior excelled in his ventures
Playing for the Lakers, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was able to win three more MVPs and five more NBA championships. He created one of the most iconic duos alongside Magic Johnson and cemented his legacy as one of the greatest to ever touch the hardwood. By the time The Captain retired in 1989, he was 42 years old.
On the other hand, Junior had already left the league two years prior. Bridgeman would play 10 of his 12 seasons in Milwaukee, with a brief stint playing for the other team in LA. He averaged a respectable 13.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists for his career, primarily coming off the bench for the Bucks.
If the Sixth Man of the Year award existed in his time, Junior Bridgeman would have certainly added it to his trophy cabinet. Instead, he settled for building a $600 Million empire that now includes an ownership stake in the Milwaukee Bucks.
Bridgeman was announced as a minority owner in September, 2024. He also played the third most games for the franchise that he now owns 10% of. It’s the perfect swansong for the 71-year-old who learned his business chops during the off-seasons of the NBA. Junior Bridgeman’s jersey hangs from the rafters at Fiserv Forum, with the team retiring his #2 in 1988.
