LeBron James Once Explained Why Muhammad Ali Is The GOAT: ''Not Because Of What He Did In The Ring''

LeBron James once revealed why he thinks boxing legend Muhammad Ali was the best athlete to ever live.

Credit: Fadeaway World

LeBron James is widely considered the greatest basketball player of all time. The King has earned his stripes during his 20-year career that started with the Cleveland Cavaliers, saw him become a champion with the Miami Heat, redeeming himself with the Cavs and adding another championship to his resume with the Los Angeles Lakers.

James has fought criticism, comparisons, and more to be where he is right now, becoming one of the greatest basketball players of all time, and one of the most influential figures in America at this moment. 

Like everybody else, Bron had idols growing up, and besides Michael Jordan and Ken Griffey Jr., he found a lot of inspiration in one of the most famous athletes of all time and was a terrific performer at his job. 

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LeBron James Once Explained Why Muhammad Ali Is The GOAT

Back in 2016, in the wake of Muhammad Ali's death, the then-Cleveland Cavaliers player talked about the impact of the boxer in the world, not only as an athlete but as a person who never hesitated to fight for what he believed was right. At the time, LeBron was playing in the Finals with the Cavs, and had this to say (via Bleacher Report):

"When I was a kid, I was amazed by what Ali did in the ring," James said, per Broussard. "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."

"The reason why he's the GOAT is not because of what he did in the ring, which was unbelievable.

"It's what he did outside of the ring, what he believed in, what he stood for, along with Jim Brown and Oscar Robertson, Lew Alcindor -- obviously, who became Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar] -- Bill Russell, Jackie Robinson. Those guys stood for something. He's part of the reason why African-Americans today can do what we do in the sports world. We're free. They allow us to have access to anything we want. It's because of what they stood for, and Muhammad Ali was definitely the pioneer for that."

Given the time when Ali grew up and lived his adult life, it was easy to see why his impact reached different heights beyond the ring. He and Bill Russell shared that, and people never stopped praising Ali for his contributions to society, even though he wasn't treated the best way by those supposed to protect him. 

LeBron James has been mentioned in the same breath as Ali, and he continues to help those who really need it. He's never tried to fill anybody's shoes, but James has become an influential figure in his own right, being vocal against social injustices and always trying to help people.