Hall of Famer Jerry West, is a basketball icon – so much so that his silhouette is featured in the NBA's logo – and he will soon receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, announced U.S. President Donald Trump on June 1. 

"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," tweeted Trump. On May 28, POTUS also wished West happy birthday for reaching the age of 81. 

When he receives the medal, West will join Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Jordan to become the fourth NBA player who's received this honor. So far there's no clear schedule for the awarding ceremony.

After being selected as the second overall pick in the NBA draft in 1960, West was a lifelong player on the Lakers. He was elected to the All-Star Game in every one of his 14 seasons. Well-known for making key plays in games, he earned the nickname "Mr. Clutch."

Before winning the 1973-74 Final Championship with the Lakers, West in became the first and only player who was awarded the Finals MVP as a member of the losing team.

West retired in 1974 but his off-court career was by no means inferior to the one he had as a player. In 1982, he became the general manager of the purple and gold, helping the team create the historic "Showtime" era. During that period, the Lakers pocketed five championships (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988). Then in 1996, West managed to bring Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant to the team, laying the foundation for the Lakers Dynasty from 2000.

In 2011, West became an executive board member of the Golden State Warriors, and added another two rings to his collection. In 2017, he joined the Los Angeles Clippers as an executive board member and again showed how incredible he is in the managerial position: the Clippers made the playoffs and battled the Warriors in six games.