Muhammad Ali: “The Greatest” Passes

“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. His hands can’t hit what his eyes can’t see.
Now you see me, now you don’t. George thinks he will, but I know he won’t.”

“Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the
world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it.
Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration.
It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary.
Impossible is nothing.”

“Hating people because of their color is wrong. And it doesn’t matter
which color does the hating. It’s just plain wrong.”

A great man died yesterday. A man whose was not just one of a kind, he was a national treasure. Muhammad Ali was a citizen of the world whose influence reached across borders and oceans. He made us proud of his athletic achievements. He made us laugh. He made us cry. And he made us cheer. And he made us think about war, peace, religion, compassion, and the power of never giving up. He made the world a better place not just through his sport, but through his dedication to improving the plight of humankind.

Barack Obama led tributes to Ali from around the world, saying that Ali’s battle against Parkinson’s “ravaged his body but couldn’t take the spark from his eyes. Muhammad Ali shook up the world. And the world is better for it. We are all better for it.”

Former opponents also memorialized the late boxer. George Foreman said he found Ali “one of the greatest human beings I’ve ever met in my life. I got beat up in the jungle. We never had any arguments until we met in the ring that night. I hit him with everything and I had, and all he would say is, ‘That all you got, George?’ What a night. Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier and myself were one guy – we lived through each other. A big piece of me died when he passed away, and I call it the greatest piece.” (Read the full story in The Guardian.)

Among the most poignant and meaningful tributes came from Harry Potter author, JK Rowling. Her tweet was a simple one which reminded us of how The Greatest wanted to be remembered, said in his own words.

Rest in peace, Champ. You will be missed.