Lakers Legend Magic Johnson to Receive Presidential Medal of Freedom

The Hall of Fame point guard is set to receive the highest civilian honor in the land.

February 18, 2018; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Former Los Angeles Laker star Magic Johnson is recognized during the 2018 NBA All Star Game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Former 12-time All-Star Los Angeles Lakers point guard Magic Johnson is slated to receive the highest civilian honor possible in the nation this weekend.

The three-time league MVP will be awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden in a ceremony Saturday at the White House, reports Safid Deen of USA Today.

Deen writes that the honor "is presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States; world peace; or other significant societal, public or private endeavors."

Argentine World Cup champion Lionel Messi is among the other 19 honorees this year, as are former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, movie stars Denzel Washington and Michael J. Fox, conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall, U2 lead singer Bono, and longtime TV "Science Guy" Billy Nye.

Johnson enjoyed a storied on-court career with Los Angeles from 1979-91 and 1995-96. In that time, the jumbo-sized point guard — who at 6-foot-9 could see over most of the opposition — brought L.A. to 10 NBA Finals, winning five. He was also a 10-time All-NBA honoree, plus a three-time league MVP and three-time Finals MVP. Johnson also led the league in assists four times and in steals twice.

During his historic run in Los Angeles alongside fellow Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy, the Michigan State product boasted career averages of 19.5 points on 52 percent shooting from the floor and 84.8 percent shooting from the foul line, 11.2 assists, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.9 steals a night.

But his achievements off the court, along with the impressive joy he brought to the game of basketball, are probably the biggest reason behind his earning the Medal of Freedom honor.

Johnson's philanthropic efforts via his Magic Johnson Foundation and his entrepreneurial achievements in the community set him apart among former athletes. He's also in the sports team ownership game now. He had a stake in the Lakers for all five of their titles with former Hall of Fame shooting guard Kobe Bryant, and currently owns a piece of MLB club the Los Angeles Dodgers (with whom he's won two World Series), WNBA squad the Los Angeles Sparks (with whom he's won one championship), NFL team the Washington Commanders, MLS team the Los Angeles FC (with whom he's one a title), and NWSL squad the Washington Spirit.

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