Dodgers part-owner Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Orioles principal owner David Rubenstein were among 19 people who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Saturday from President Joe Biden.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom, which was established by President John F. Kennedy in 1963, is the United States’ highest civilian honor. It is presented annually 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.”
Johnson, a five-time NBA champion and one of the greatest basketball players of all time, has been a member of the Dodgers ownership group that took control of the franchise in 2012 and won the World Series in 2020 and 2024. Johnson is a philanthropist, an entrepreneur and has been one of the most well-known advocates for HIV/AIDS prevention since going public with his HIV diagnosis in 1991.
Rubenstein is the head of an investment group that acquired the Orioles in 2024. A Baltimore native and the co-founder/co-chairman of The Carlyle Group, Rubenstein has donated to fund work on some of the historic landmarks around Washington, D.C., including the Washington Monument and the National Zoo.
Thirteen baseball players and one announcer have received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Last year, it was awarded posthumously to Jim Thorpe, a multi-sport star who played in the Major Leagues from 1913-19 with the New York Giants, Cincinnati Reds and Boston Braves. The most recent living ballplayer to receive the medal was Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera in 2019.