(CNN) The Medal of Freedom ceremony brought big names to the White House on Tuesday. Honorees included Diana Ross, Michael Jordan and Robert De Niro. The award is the highest civilian honor given by the White House.
But any event Ellen DeGeneres shows up for can't be all pomp and circumstance, right?
The movie "Space Jam" was a big winner at the ceremony. President Barack Obama mentioned it twice! Star Michael Jordan -- who I kid you not is billed after Bugs Bunny on the 1996 movie's poster -- was an honoree. Apparently, he is also a shoe designer and athlete.
Obama and Tom Hanks were yucking it up.
And the President recognized Hanks' best work was falling in love with the same woman three times.
Ellen started crying at about the same time the announcer was saying that she has taught a generation of Americans to "just keep swimming." Everyone is crying now.
But the President also remembered the time that Ellen laughed at his dance moves.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who is over seven feet tall, had a lot of fun with the fact that Obama, barely a measly six feet, is shorter than him. He didn't even stand on the platform at first.
I mean, he really had a lot of fun.
Not only did Abdul-Jabbar win the Medal of Freedom, he got something better: he was living his best life. Between Kareem, Jordan and Space Jam, basketball was having a really good day at the White House.
There were a lot of hugs. He hugged Newt Minow and helped him back to his seat.
He hugged Diana Ross, who was killing it with her entire look.
And he hugged (and kept hugging) Cicely Tyson.
At the end of the day, even the President knows who "The Boss" is. (Spoiler: It's Bruce Springsteen.)