Muhammad Ali was a father, husband, Muslim, fighter, and above all, a champion. Here are ten of his best quotes, based on the moments that defined his personality and his career.
1. "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."
Perhaps the most memorable, Ali's "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" catchphrase came out of the fight of the 20th century, "The Rumble in the Jungle". This match between Muhammad Ali and then-champion George Foreman was set after Ali had been stripped of his heavy weight title and banned from boxing for three and a half years, following his refusal to serve in the Vietnam War. Ali knocked Foreman out in the eighth round, and won back his title against all odds.
2. "Stay in College, get the knowledge, stay there until you are through. If they can make penicillin out of moldy bread, they can sure make something of you!"
These words to live by were Ali's thoughts on the value of education.
3. "I am America. I am the part you won’t recognize. But get used to me. Black, confident, cocky, my name not yours. My religion, not yours; my goals, my own; get used to me.”
After being convicted of dodging the draft for the Vietnam War, Ali responded that he is America, and that the government had to get used to people like him. As a Muslim, he was against combat and violence, and strongly opposed the war and America's involvement.
4. “I’ve wrestled with alligators; I’ve tussled with a whale; I done handcuffed lightning; and throw thunder in jail.”
Reporters and fans knew Ali had a way with words; often, his trash talk and pregame sound bites sounded like spoken word poetry rather than boxing jargon.
5. "I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was."
Muhammad Ali believed that affirmations and believing in himself was the key to his success. Because he understood that he was the greatest first, those around him were able to recognize his greatness.
6. "If you even dream of beating me, you better wake up and apologize."
Known for his occasionally cocky attitude, Ali liked to predict his wins and antagonize his opponents inside and outside of the ring. While his ego may have seemed too big at times, Ali believed that humble men never got very far in life.
7. “It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe.”
This was Ali's warning against being your own worst enemy and sabotaging your own success. It's not whats around you that works against you, because you control your thoughts and actions.
8. “A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.”
Age and experience greatly affected Ali. In 1984, Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, not uncommon among boxers that suffered head injuries during their careers. He later died of respiratory issues related to his disease.
9. "I know I got it made while the masses of black people are catchin’ hell, but as long as they ain’t free, I ain’t free.”
As a model for the black community, Ali often spoke of racism and his support for black Americans struggling in a world that was still very much rooted in white privilege.
10. “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.”
Muhammad Ali achieved the impossible. Long live the greatest.
