Ali’s hometown joins for prayer, celebration

5:50 PM ET

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Muhammad Ali’s younger brother wept, swayed to hymns and hugged anyone he could reach. He raised his hands to the sky, eyes closed, surrounded by congregants at the church where their father once worshipped.

Rahaman Ali took center stage at the two-hour, high-energy service at King Solomon Missionary Baptist Church, sitting in a front-row pew with his wife, Caroline. The church is not far from the little pink house in Louisville’s west end where the Ali brothers grew up.

It was one of several emotional remembrances Sunday as the city joined to mourn its most celebrated son, the Louisville Lip. Later this week, politicians, celebrities and fans from around the globe are expected for a Friday memorial service that Ali planned with the intent of making it open to all.

At his father’s church, the congregation stood in tribute, prayed for the former three-time heavyweight champion and his family and even dug into their pockets, filling a collection plate for Rahaman and his wife as a show of support.

“There is no greater man that has done more for this city than Muhammad Ali,” said the church’s assistant pastor, Charles Elliott III, drawing a round of “amens” and prolonged applause from the congregation.

Editor’s PicksWhy Ali’s star shines brightest on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Muhammad Ali’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is unlike any other, and that goes well beyond its status as the only star that doesn’t sit on the sidewalk, writes Arash Markazi.

Elliott recalled the comical side of the former boxing champion and global humanitarian, who died Friday night at an Arizona hospital.

He said his grandmother was once a nanny to Ali’s family. Elliott visited as a young boy, he said, and recalled the house had an elevator and a parrot who called out: “Here comes the champ. Here comes the champ.”

His father, the …

continue reading in source espn.go.com