Jerry West is an NBA legend, both as a player and as an executive. And soon, he'll be a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient as well. President Donald Trump tweeted Saturday night that West would be receiving the honor. "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!" wrote Trump. West turned 81 on May 28. No date has been announced for the ceremony for West, who won an Olympic gold medal in 1960 and was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980. He played his entire 14-year career (1960-74) with the Los Angeles Lakers, earning All-Star honors each of those seasons. His Lakers reached the NBA Finals nine times, but due to the dominance of the Boston Celtics at the time, he only won one title as a player, in 1972. A two-time NBA Executive of the Year, West was part of the front office for eight title-winning teams -- six with the Lakers and then with the Golden State Warriors in 2015 and 2017. West currently serves as a consultant for the Los Angeles Clippers.
