Michael Jordan, Vin Scully Among Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipients
President Barack Obama has announced the 21 recipients who will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, including basketball Hall of Famers Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and legendary Los Angeles Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully.
Per an official statement from the White House (via ABC News), the prestigious awards will be presented during a ceremony on Nov. 22.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian honor and is presented to individuals who have made a significant and exemplary cultural impact on the United States and around the world.
Obama issued a statement along with the announcement of this year's recipients of the award, per AJ Neuharth-Keusch of USA Today:
"The Presidential Medal of Freedom is not just our nation's highest civilian honor — it's a tribute to the idea that all of us, no matter where we come from, have the opportunity to change this country for the better. From scientists, philanthropists, and public servants to activists, athletes, and artists, these 21 individuals have helped push America forward, inspiring millions of people around the world along the way.
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Abdul-Jabbar retired from the NBA in 1989 and remains the league's all-time leading scorer. He has also been a social activist and was named a global cultural ambassador in 2012.
More than 13 years after his retirement from the NBA, Jordan remains arguably the most famous athlete in the United States. Jordan Brand is the most successful athletic brand in the world, with Kurt Badenhausen of Forbes reporting in March that the six-time NBA champion will make "at least $30 million more than any other athlete in the world" this year.
Jordan has also taken a more active stance on societal issues, saying in a statement to The Undefeated in July that he was making two separate $1 million donations to the International Association of Chiefs of Police’s newly established Institute for Community-Police Relations and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in response to help with building trust between citizens and law enforcement.
Scully ended his historic 67-year run as the voice of Dodgers baseball on Oct. 2. The legendary broadcaster has previously been honored with the Ford C. Frick Award by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award, given to someone who had a major impact on the sport.
Since the award was first established in 1960, Bill Russell, in 2011, is the only former NBA player to receive it until Jordan and Abdul-Jabbar this year. College basketball coaches Dean Smith, Pat Summitt and John Wooden previously received the award.
