He was born Cassius Clay on January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky. Later, he changed his name to Muhammad Ali in accordance with his newly adopted religion - Islam.
He was also arguably the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. When he chose to be a conscientious objector against the Vietnam draft, public sentiment - already high - turned against him and he was arguably the most hated man in America and received many death threats.
After a Court of Appeals upheld the conviction, the case was reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1971. On June 28, 1972, the Supreme Court in Clay v United States overturned Ali's conviction by a unanimous 8-0 decision.
The rest is history. Ali is recognized as "The Greatest" professional boxer of all time. He's also known for his work as an activist for equal rights for African Americans.
A lot of people aren't aware that Ali suffered from dyslexia all of his life and had trouble learning. He once quipped, "I'm the Greatest! Not the Smartest!"
A lot of people asked me what I thought about Ali dodging the draft after I returned from Vietnam and Cambodia (1970). I'm sure they expected me to respond like a war hawk, but I chose the way of the dove saying I agreed with Ali's stance. It was his right as an American.
It's never easy to stand up for one's beliefs, especially when you suffer negative consequences for your decision. But it's worth it.
Ali was so revered that his hometown Louisville renamed their airport The Louisville Mohammad Ali International Airport.
Not bad for a man who was once called the "most hated man" in America.
As it stands, when Ali died on June 2, 2016, the world mourned his loss.
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