Some sad news came out of Milwaukee earlier this week, when the Bucks announced that Junior Bridgeman, one of the great players in Milwaukee Bucks history, had suddenly passed away. Bridgeman sustained a medical emergency at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville during a fundraising event Tuesday, and died shortly thereafter. He was 71 years old.
It was a difficult time for the Bucks, and Doc Rivers basically spoke for the entire Bucks community about Bridgeman’s untimely death:
"Tough day. Just really a tough day."
Doc Rivers on the passing of Junior Bridgeman. pic.twitter.com/byDXWevkOT
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) March 11, 2025
Following his passing, the Bucks also issued a statement.
“The Milwaukee Bucks are shocked and saddened by the tragic passing of Bucks legend and owner Junior Bridgeman.
“Junior’s retired No. 2 jersey hangs in Fiserv Forum, serving as a constant remembrance of his outstanding play on the court and his impact on the Bucks’ success. His hard work and perseverance led him to become one of the nation’s top business leaders and, last September, Junior’s professional life came full circle when he returned to the Bucks family as an owner. His memory will always be an inspiration to the Bucks organization.
“We are heartbroken by Junior’s passing and we send our deepest condolences to his wife, Doris, his children, Eden, Justin, and Ryan, his entire family and all those close to him.”
Yesterday afternoon, the Bucks announced they will wear a memorial band on their jerseys for the remainder of the season.
The band is simple: black with “BRIDGEMAN” in white lettering. The patch will be worn on the left loop of Bucks’ players jerseys. I tightly cropped the photo above, since the memorial band is far too close to the much larger and obnoxious jersey ad.
Of course, the other jersey sleeve loop has a makers’ mark, so there are no real good options for the team to place a memorial band unencumbered by visual clutter.
The Bucks debuted the memorial band last evening, and here’s how it looked.
The Bucks also held a moment of silence for Bridgeman prior to the start of the game.
As a player for the Bucks, Bridgeman was part of several great Bucks teams, playing alongside other NBA stars like Marques Johnson and Sidney Moncrief. His teams won 60 games in 1980-81 and won at least 50 games in seven consecutive seasons. The Bucks had competitive teams during the 1980s, reaching the Eastern Conference finals in 1983, 1984 and 1986. Bridgeman was originally drafted by the Lakers with the No. 8 pick in the 1975 draft, but was traded to Milwaukee as part of the deal that brought Kareem to the Lakers.
Fantastic gesture by the Bucks, and a terrible loss for the franchise and Bucks fans.
RIP Junior.
Remembering Junior Bridgeman. pic.twitter.com/qJFRIOgLk7
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) March 13, 2025
So nice to see the memorial band is sponsored by Motorola! It will serve as a reminder to discover all one needs to keep in touch!
Anyone who thinks there is any integrity in sports uniforms other than to maximize profit is wrong.
How about a big number 2 in a black circle, and a little strip of fabric to commemorate Motorola?
I can read the Motorola patch but not the memorial band. Why bother?