Bucks: Marking 40 years since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar trade changed 2 franchises
By Phil Watson
Junior Bridgeman, shown on a 1978 Topps basketball card.
Junior Bridgeman
Junior Bridgeman was the other recent draftee acquired by Milwaukee in the deal, having just been taken with the No. 8 overall pick out of Louisville.
Bridgeman was a reserve for most of his career in Milwaukee, but a darn good one.
Nicknamed “The Torch” because of his explosive scoring ability, Bridgeman averaged 14.4 points per game in his first nine-year stint with the Bucks, as well as 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 26.1 minutes a game, shooting .479/.188/.840.
Bridgeman was part of the deal with the Los Angeles Clippers in September 1984 that brought Terry Cummings, Craig Hodges and Ricky Pierce to Milwaukee, but he returned to the Bucks in 1987, initially signing a 10-day contract and later joining the club for the rest of the 1986-87 season.
After playing in 34 games that season, he retired to conclude a 12-year career.
Bridgeman’s No. 2 was retired in 1988 and he is now a part-owner of the Bucks, with a net worth estimated at nearly $400 million as the second-largest owner of Wendy’s fast-food franchises in the U.S.
Here are Bridgeman’s per-game numbers during his two stints with the Bucks.
| Season | Tm | G | MP | FG% | 3P% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975-76 | MIL | 81 | 20.3 | .439 | .795 | 3.6 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 2.9 | 8.6 | ||
| 1976-77 | MIL | 82 | 29.4 | .449 | .864 | 5.1 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 2.7 | 14.4 | ||
| 1977-78 | MIL | 82 | 22.9 | .503 | .810 | 3.5 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 13.6 | |
| 1978-79 | MIL | 82 | 23.9 | .506 | .829 | 3.6 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 15.5 | |
| 1979-80 | MIL | 81 | 28.6 | .478 | .185 | .865 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 2.1 | 2.7 | 17.6 |
| 1980-81 | MIL | 77 | 28.8 | .487 | .143 | .884 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 16.8 |
| 1981-82 | MIL | 41 | 22.5 | .483 | .444 | .864 | 3.0 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 1.6 | 2.2 | 12.5 |
| 1982-83 | MIL | 70 | 26.5 | .492 | .077 | .837 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 14.4 |
| 1983-84 | MIL | 81 | 30.0 | .465 | .194 | .807 | 4.1 | 3.3 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 1.8 | 2.8 | 15.1 |
| 1986-87 | MIL | 34 | 12.3 | .462 | .167 | .800 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 1.5 | 5.1 |
| Career | 849 | 25.0 | .475 | .244 | .846 | 3.5 | 2.4 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 13.6 | |
| 10 seasons | MIL | 711 | 25.4 | .478 | .187 | .840 | 3.7 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 13.9 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/16/2015.
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