Charlotte’s most famous resident just accepted the Presidential Medal of Freedom yesterday at the White House. Michael Jordan joined Tom Hanks, Robert De Niro, Bill Gates, Bruce Springsteen, and 16 others in receiving medals from the president.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is widely regarded as the highest civilian honor that our nation can bestow upon its citizens. The award is given to individuals “who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.”
This video, just released by the NBA, shows Michael Jordan receiving the medal from President Obama:
According to The White House’s press release, “Michael Jordan is one of the greatest athletes of all time. Jordan played 15 seasons in the NBA for the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards; he is currently a principal owner and chairman of the Charlotte Hornets. During his career, he won six championships, five Most Valuable Player awards, and appeared in 14 All-Star games.”
Michael Jordan now lives in Charlotte – he’s the current owner of the Charlotte Hornets and multiple other businesses and iconic brands. He’s also continually giving back to charities and to his local Charlotte community, he even recently donated $2 million to help bridge race relations during the Charlotte riots.
Last year, primarily due to the increase in value of NBA franchises, Jordan became the first billionaire NBA player in history and the world’s second-richest African-American.