On Tuesday, Michael Jordan was among the 21 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded by President Barack Obama. The sports world was well-represented as legendary Los Angeles Dodgers announcer Vin Scully and Basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul–Jabbar also received Medals of Freedom on Tuesday.
During his speech, President Obama said Jordan was “more than just the best player on the two greatest teams of all time, the ‘Dream Team’ and the 1996 Chicago Bulls.”
“He’s more than just a logo, more than just an internet meme,” Obama continued, drawing laughter from the crowd with the reference to not just Jordan’s Nike brand, but the “Crying Jordan” meme that has been all over social media.
“We celebrate extraordinary Americans who have lifted our spirits, strengthened our union, pushed us towards progress,” Obama said. “I always love doing this event, but this is a particularly impressive class. We’ve got innovators and artists … public servants, rabble rousers, athletes, renowned character actors, like the guy from ‘Space Jam.'”
Although it is impossible to fully explain the contributions of Jordan, Abdul-Jabbar and Scully, President Obama highlighted several attributes that made them worthy recipients of the Medal of Freedom.
All of them have received numerous awards over the course of their careers, but yesterday they were honored in a way that transcends the world of sports.
.@POTUS awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Michael Jordan https://t.co/RgLiovbp5B pic.twitter.com/95xQNgT8Do
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) November 22, 2016
.@POTUS awards Presidential Medal of Freedom to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar https://t.co/RgLiovbp5B pic.twitter.com/XU1VnVr5Ga
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) November 22, 2016
Dodgers announcer Vin Scully receives Presidential Medal of Freedom from @POTUS: https://t.co/RgLiovbp5B pic.twitter.com/O2glF1l1gh
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) November 22, 2016
