Lakers News: Magic Johnson to Receive Presidential Medal of Freedom

Ricardo Sandoval | Jan 4, 2025

Nov 23, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Magic Johnson attends the 2024 NWSL Championship match at CPKC Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Lakers legend and Hall of Famer Magic Johnson will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom during a ceremony Saturday at the White House.

More news: Patrick Beverley Calls Out Lakers Fans in Wild Rant

The 46th President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, will honor 19 other famous names in politics, sports, entertainment, civil rights, LGBTQ+ advocacy, and science.

The White House released a statement on the 19 people they will bestow this great honor upon. 

“President Biden believes great leaders keep the faith, give everyone a fair shot, and put decency above all else,” the White House said in a statement. “These nineteen Americans are great leaders who have made America a better place. They are great leaders because they are good people who have made extraordinary contributions to their country and the world.”

“Off the court, he is a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist who supports underserved communities through his Magic Johnson Foundation,” the White House wrote.

Johnson is not only an all-time great on the basketball court but has been an advocate for HIV/AIDS prevention since announcing he had contracted HIV in 1991. 

What Johnson has done off the court is arguably more vital, as his philanthropic work supports underserved communities through his Magic Johnson Foundation. He also joined the ownership groups of the Washington Commanders, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Sparks, Los Angeles FC in MLS, and the NWSL's Washington Spirit.

Still, as a professional athlete, he spent his entire career with the Lakers, and his resume is second to none. He is a 12-time All-Star, five-time NBA champion, 10-time All-NBA, three-time Finals MVP, three-time NBA MVP, four-time assist champion, and member of the 50th and 75th NBA Anniversary teams. 

In his career, Johnson played 906 games and averaged 19.5 points per game, 7.2 rebounds per game, 11.2 assists per game, and 1.9 steals per game while shooting 52 percent from the field in 36.7 minutes per game. 

Johnson is Los Angeles through and through. After his playing career, he did his best to provide the community, especially the black community, with the very best in housing and entertainment. 

The Johnson Development Corporation invested in neighborhoods that had been neglected by mainstream developers. His first investment was a partnership with Sony Pictures to build movie theaters in underserved communities. The theaters offered new jobs for local residents.

Overall, Johnson is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, broadcaster, and motivational speaker. He was a former part-owner of the Lakers and was the team's president of basketball operations in the late 2010s from 2017-19. 

More Lakers: Epic Lakers Trade Idea Lands Them Star LaMelo Ball From Hornets