Celtics legend Bob Cousy receives Presidential Medal of Freedom from Donald Trump
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A Boston Celtics legend picked up yet another impressive accomplishment Thursday. Bob Cousy was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Donald Trump.
Cousy, 91, starred with the Celtics in the ‘50s and early ‘60s. He played 13 seasons with the team, winning six championships. Over that period, Cousy made the All-Star team 13 times. He was also named to the All-NBA team 12 times.
“He is a great champion, and we love champions,” Trump said of Cousy.
Cousy was inducted into the Naismith National Basketball Hall of Fame in 1971. The award for the best point guard in college basketball is named after him. Each season, the nation’s top point guard receives the “Bob Cousy Award.”
“If I’d known I was going to be eulogized I would probably have done the only decent thing and died,” Cousy said after receiving the honor.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the nation’s highest civilian honor. It is given “to individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the security or national interests of America, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors,” according to WhiteHouse.gov.
Cousy is the second Celtics player to receive the honor. His teammate, Bill Russell, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Honor by Barack Obama in 2011.
Cousy is not the only athlete to receive the Presidential Medal of Honor from Trump. In May, Trump presented Tiger Woods with the medal. Trump has also awarded Babe Ruth and Roger Staubach with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
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