NBA great Jerry West to receive Presidential Medal of Freedom
Jerry West will soon be adding another piece of hardware to what can only be an overflowing trophy cabinet by now.
The former NBA star will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Donald Trump according to the president’s Twitter feed.
The Great Jerry West will be receiving our Nation’s highest civilian honor, The Presidential Medal of Freedom, for his outstanding career, both on and off the court. Happy Birthday Jerry! @Sen_JoeManchin https://t.co/3kNEpteYfW
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 2, 2019
West, 81, was a 14-time NBA All-Star from 1961-1974 with the Los Angeles Lakers who won an NBA title in 1972 and was named to the All-NBA first team 10 times over his career. After moving to front office roles, he helped lead eight title-winning teams with the Lakers and Warriors and was twice named NBA Executive of the Year.
On top of all of that, his silhouette was used to create the modern NBA logo. He currently serves as an executive board member of the Los Angeles Clippers.
West will be the fifth professional athlete to receive the Medal of Freedom during the Trump Administration. Previously, Trump bestowed the award to Babe Ruth, Roger Staubach, Alan Page and Tiger Woods.
No date has been announced yet for the award ceremony.
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Blake Schuster is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at blakeschuster@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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