UNC basketball legend and Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama on Tuesday at the White House.
Jordan was one of 21 recipients honored in the nation’s capitol, along with fellow basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and longtime voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers Vin Scully.
Obama celebrated Jordan for lifting the sport of basketball globally but said there’s more to the legendary Tar Heel.
“MJ is still more than those moments, more than just the best player on the two greatest teams of all time – the Dream Team and the 1996 Chicago Bulls,” Obama said. “He’s more than just a logo, more than just an internet meme. He’s more than just a charitable donor or a business owner committed to diversity.
“There is a reason you call somebody, ‘The Michael Jordan of.’”
Obama continued, “Because Michael Jordan is the Michael Jordan of greatness. He is the definition of somebody so good at what they do that everybody recognizes it.
“That’s pretty rare.”
Jordan joined his UNC basketball coach Dean Smith, who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama in 2013.
You can watch the full ceremony here.
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