The Best Entrepreneur the NBA Ever Produced is a Guy You Never Heard Of

The NBA Finals are going on - what a Game 1! - and it reminds me of a story I love about an ex-NBA player who did the dirty work, on and off the court, as you will see.

The Knicks and the Spurs are going at it in the NBA Finals right now and everybody has an opinion. Wemby! Madison Square Garden. The whole spectacle.

But while we watch the stars, I want to tell you about an NBA player whose name you probably do not know - a bench player, a journeyman, a guy who played twelve solid seasons and never once made an All-Star team.

He made less than $350,000 in his best year.

Yet he was worth $600 million when he died.

His name was Junior Bridgeman and his story is a fantastic, relatable, entrepreneur story.

The Most Forgettable Player in the Room

When Junior Bridgeman retired from the NBA in 1987, nobody wrote many tributes. And why would they? 12 seasons, mostly as a reserve for the Milwaukee Bucks.

No All-Star appearances. No big endorsement deals. No Wheaties box.

His entire career earnings were just under $3 million - less than what a rookie earns in his first month today. But here is what Junior Bridgeman was doing that almost nobody else was.

He was learning.

Flipping Burgers

During the off-season - while his teammates rested, vacationed, and cashed checks - Junior Bridgeman showed up to work at a Wendy's.

Literally.

He wore the apron. He flipped the burgers. He mixed the milkshakes. And he also studied the margins, the staffing, the systems, and the suppliers. He took notes on everything.

And when retirement came, he bought three Wendy's franchises. He put in the sweat, learned the ropes, and then bought a few more.

Then ten more.

Then 450 more.

The Line That Opened Every Door

Bridgeman had something most franchise buyers do not - a story. A real one. A working-class one. When he walked into a bank, he did not just say he wanted to buy restaurants. He looked the lender in the eye and said:

“I am not just buying these franchises. I am working in them.”

That line made lenders trust him. It made employees follow him. It made suppliers give him better deals. In a world obsessed with flash, Junior Bridgeman won by being steady, humble, and relentlessly prepared.

At his peak, Bridgeman owned over 450 restaurants - Wendy's, Chili's, and more.

And then he sold some holdings, bought a Coca-Cola bottling operation, acquired Ebony and Jet magazines, and took a stake in his old team, the Milwaukee Bucks.

The journeyman nobody remembered became one of the greatest entrepreneur stories in American sports. He passed away in March 2025 at 71.

He was worth almost a billion dollars.

$1,000,000,000!

And to think he started by flipping burgers and cleaning fryers in the off-season.

The Takeaway

So often, I hear about - or coach - young entrepreneurs who are enthralled by the glitz of entrepreneurship but who don’t want to put in the sweat. Want to open a restaurant? Go work in a restaurant!

Junior Bridgeman was not the best player in the room. But he sure was the most prepared one. He showed up early, wore the apron, and did the work. Then he bought the building.

Coincidence?

Me thinks not.

Steal This Strategy

📖 Book: Grinding It Out - Ray Kroc. The franchise playbook that Bridgeman lived by. Kroc built the McDonald's empire the same way - relentless systems, relentless hustle.

📖 Book: The E-Myth Revisited - Michael Gerber. The book that explains exactly what Bridgeman understood instinctively: the best businesses run on systems, not superstars. Voted #1 business book by Inc. 500 CEOs.

🛠️ Resource: Launch Your First Newsletter in Under 60 Minutes. Junior Bridgeman learned the business by showing up. Here is your version - a step-by-step guide to launching a newsletter, start to finish, in under an hour.

📅 Free Call: Want Me to Help Create and/or Write Your Newsletter For You? Book a free discovery call and let's talk.

About Steve

Steve Strauss is the best-selling author of The Small Business Bible (and 17 other books), Inc.’s small business columnist, a lawyer (non-practicing), and an entrepreneur. He sold his last venture, TheSelfEmployed.com to Mark Cuban & Zen Business. Need a ghostwriter or a newsletter for your business? Contact Steve!