Hall of Fame
A native of East Chicago, Ind., Ulysses “Junior” Bridgeman is one of just seven players in league history to earn back-to-back Larry Bird MVC Player of the Year awards (1974 and 1975).
A first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference choice in 1974 and 1975, he led the Cardinals to consecutive Valley regular-season crowns and trips to the NCAA Tournament.
A first-team All-America selection in 1975, Bridgeman, whose jersey (No. 10) has been retired by Louisville, powered the Cardinals to the semifinals of the 1975 Final Four, where UL lost to eventual national champion UCLA.
Following his collegiate career, he played in the National Basketball Association for 12 seasons, 10 with the Milwaukee Bucks and two with the Los Angeles Clippers. During his career, he served 11 years as a member of the NBA Players Association.
In 1978-79, he averaged 15.5 points per game to earn the NBA’s Sixth-Man Award.
A recipient of the Coach Wooden Key to Life Award, he is the owner and President of Manna, Inc. and ERJ Inc. which currently oversees the administration and operation of 163 Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburger Restaurants in five states and 24 Chili’s Restaurants in four states.