Boston Celtics legend Bob Cousy receives Presidential Medal of Freedom

Bob Cousy, one of the greatest veterans in the history of the Boston Celtics, received the highest civilian honor for an American citizen, the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Thursday from U.S. President Donald Trump.

Trump praised him as "one of the all-time greats in the history of sports."

Cousy, 91, was born in New York in 1928. The POTUS talked about Cousy's childhood during the Great Depression and added that he never forgot the advice from his first mentor: never be predictable. "Hey, I've heard that lesson, too," said Trump.

"This acknowledgment allows me to complete my life circle. I can stop chasing a bouncing ball. The Presidential Medal of Freedom allows me to reach a level of acceptance in our society I never once ever dreamed of," said Cousy during the awards ceremony in the Oval Office.

Bob Cousy (L) speaks after receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from the President of the United States, Donald Trump (R) in the Oval Office at the White House, August 22, 2019. /VCG Photo

Cousy is the second player in the history of the Celtics to get the honor, after Bill Russell in 2011. The 91-year-old is also the second recipient of the medal this year after Tiger Woods in May.

"Congratulations to #Celtics Legend Bob Cousy on receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom," wrote the team on Twitter.

Having joined the NBA in 1950, Cousy played 13 seasons for Boston before he joined the Cincinnati Royals to play his last season. During his time in Boston, Cousy won six championships, one NBA MVP Award, played 13 All-Star Games, was named 12 All-NBA Teams (10 First Teams and two Second Teams). He was also eight-time assists leader of the league.

Bob Cousy #14 of the Boston Celtics in a game against the Milwaukee Hawks in the 1950s. /VCG Photo

The Celtics retired Cousy's No. 14 jersey. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, and selected into the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, but none of these could say enough about his greatness. If you find some of those old basketball clips and take a look, you can see that Cousy did dribbling and passing – the two basic jobs of point guard – well enough to set examples for the following generations.

How excellent was Cousy's dribbling? Isiah Thomas, Allen Iverson, and Kyrie Irving admitted that they like watching clips of Cousy's dribbling. How good was his passing? Cousy was the best no-look-passer before Magic Johnson, and his passing skill earned him the nickname "Houdini of the Hardwood." The award for the best point guard in the NCAA is called the Bob Cousy Award, and that's what he means to American basketball.