LeBron James shared his thoughts about Muhammad Ali on Friday with ESPNβs Chris Broussard. Although Ali hadn't passed yet, James words were poignant and touched upon Aliβs commitment to social issues and injustice.
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βWhen I was a kid, I was amazed by what Ali did in the ring,βΒ LeBron toldΒ Broussard. βAs I got older and started to read about him and watch things about him, I started to realize what he did in the ring was secondary to what he meant outside of the ringβjust his influence, what he stood for.β
βThe reason why heβs the GOAT is not because of what he did in the ring, which was unbelievable,β James said. βItβs what he did outside of the ring, what he believed in, what he stood for, along with Jim Brown and Oscar Robertson, Lew Alcindorβobviously, who became Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar]βBill Russell, Jackie Robinson. Those guys stood for something. Heβs part of the reason why African Americans today can do what we do in the sports world. Weβre free. They allow us to have access to anything we want. Itβs because of what they stood for, and Muhammad Ali was definitely the pioneer for that.β
James has also been outspoken when it comes to social issues and injustice.Β In his hometown of Akron, Ohio, heβs worked to provide programs for children and the underserved. His most vocal stance came when Trayvon Martin was killed and he led the Miami Heat to remember Trayvon by wearing hoodies before a game.
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