Ali ‘a pioneer’ for black athletes, LeBron says

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Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James has called Muhammad Ali the greatest athlete of all time. But on Friday afternoon, hours before Ali died at age 74, James said it was Ali’s work and influence outside of the boxing ring that he will remember most.

“When I was a kid I was amazed by what Ali did in the ring,” LeBron told ESPN.com. “As 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 ring — just his influence, what he stood for.”

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“The Greatest” is gone. Muhammad Ali, equal parts world champion and humanitarian, died late Friday at age 74, a family spokesman said.

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