Steve Almasy reports:
Muhammad Ali, the legendary boxer who proclaimed himself "The Greatest" and was among the most famous and beloved athletes on the planet, died Friday in Phoenix, Arizona, a family spokesman said.
Ali, 74, had been at a Phoenix hospital since Thursday with what spokesman Bob Gunnell had described as a respiratory issue.
The three-time heavyweight champion also had battled Parkinson's disease since 1984.
Laila Ali "truly appreciates the outpouring of love for her family, as she spends quality time with her dad," a statement issued by her business manager said.
The boxing legend also was hospitalized in January 2015 with a urinary tract infection. He was hospitalized in December 2014 with pneumonia.
And:
Back when he was known as Cassius Clay, his most notable achievement was winning an Olympic gold medal in Rome in 1960. It was in that same year that he turned professional. On Feb. 25, 1964, when he was just 22 years old, he stopped the fearsome Sonny Liston to win the Heavyweight Title. For the American public and media, he became an African-American sports star unlike any they had known. In front of cameras before and after that fight, he exhibited the showmanship that would help define his public persona with his famous quote: "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee". He was exceptional in the ring; as one journalist described him: "A fighter with a big man’s power, a little man’s speed and a Renaissance painter’s creative genius". As soon as that first title fight was over, he stood on the ring ropes waving his gloved right hand and shouting, “I am the greatest! I am the greatest! I’m the king of the world.’’ It was after this fight that he announced he had changed his name to Muhammad Ali and joined the Nation of Islam.
And:
On April 28, 1967, with the United States at war in Vietnam, Ali refused to be inducted into the armed forces, saying “I ain’t got no quarrel with those Vietcong.” On June 20, 1967, Ali was convicted of draft evasion, sentenced to five years in prison, fined $10,000 and banned from boxing for three years. He stayed out of prison as his case was appealed and returned to the ring on October 26, 1970, knocking out Jerry Quarry in Atlanta in the third round. On March 8, 1971, Ali fought Joe Frazier in the “Fight of the Century” and lost after 15 rounds, the first loss of his professional boxing career. On June 28 of that same year, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned his conviction for evading the draft.
I always had trouble with the idea that Ali “evaded” the draft.
Those of us who were sentenced to prison for refusing the draft did not evade. We rejected it, refused to comply with it, said “Hell no” to induction. There was no trickery or deception involved. We did not “evade.” We resisted publicly with the full knowledge that what we were doing would have penalties attached.
I hope that in the next few days, as the stories and obituaries are written, that the false description contained in “evaded” will be given the boot.
See the video embedded by Magnifico here.