He wasn’t just the greatest athlete of all time. Muhammad Ali — who died on Friday, June 3, at the age of 74 — was also one of the greatest showmen. And celebrities from the worlds of music, acting and sport took to Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to pay tribute to the boxing legend with heartfelt posts, photos and memories.
“God came for his champion. So long great one,” former boxer Mike Tyson tweeted, while Madonna referenced the recent deaths of groundbreaking stars including Prince and David Bowie, sharing a picture on Instagram of herself and Ali and writing, “What is going on??!! We are losing all of our National Treasures. Our Pillars of Humanity. He was the Greatest!”
Ali, who retired from boxing in 1981 after winning three World Heavyweight Championships, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease three years after stepping away from the ring.
He was hospitalized earlier this week in Phoenix as he battled a respiratory issue.
Hours before her father died, Laila Ali shared a sweet pic on Facebook of the champ with her daughter Sydney.
“I love this photo of my father and my daughter Sydney when she was a baby!” the Dancing With the Stars alum and former pro boxer wrote. “Thank[s] for all the love and well wishes. I feel your love and appreciate it!!”
Read more tributes below.
