WASHINGTON, D.C.: LeBron James is giving $2.5 million to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture to support a special exhibit featuring Muhammad Ali.
The Muhammad Ali: A Force for Change exhibit, which opened in September, tells the story of how Ali’s contributions transcended the world of sports.
“Every professional athlete, regardless of race and gender, owes a huge debt of gratitude to Muhammad Ali,” James said in a prepared statement. “His legacy deserves to be studied and revered by every generation. I am honored to partner with the Smithsonian to celebrate one of the most influential figures in our nation’s history who, along with Jackie Robinson and Jesse Owens, used the power of sports to advance our civil rights.”
James’ business partner Maverick Carter also will be part of the contribution to the Ali exhibit. With the gift, the LeBron James Family Foundation and Carter will join the list of founding donors of the national museum.
“I am overwhelmed by the incredible generosity LeBron James has shown to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and to Muhammad’s legacy,” Lonnie Ali, Ali’s widow, said in a prepared statement. “This exhibit will enable children visiting the Smithsonian to learn more about Muhammad’s work outside of the ring, particularly his humanitarian work and stance on social justice for all people. Thank you to LeBron James and the Smithsonian for making this possible. I know that if Muhammad was alive today he would be honored.”
Ali died in June at age 74.
The death fell during the Cavs playoff run and James offered praise for a life well lived.
“As a kid I gravitated toward him because he was a champion, but I only knew as a kid of what he did inside the ring,” James told reporters at the time. “As I got older and I started to be more knowledgeable about the sport, about sport in general and about the guys who paved the way for guys like myself, I understood that he is the greatest of all time, and he was the greatest of all time because of what he did outside of the ring.
“Obviously, we knew how great of a boxer he was, but I think that was only 20 percent of what made him as great as he was.”
James credits the success he has enjoyed in life to athletes like Ali.
“It’s a guy who basically had to give up a belt and relish everything that he had done because of what he believed in and ended up in jail because of his beliefs,” he said. “It’s a guy who stood up for so many different things throughout the times where it was so difficult for African-Americans to even walk in the streets.
“For an athlete like myself today, without Muhammad Ali, I wouldn’t be sitting up here talking in front of you guys. I wouldn’t be able to walk in restaurants. I wouldn’t be able to go anywhere where blacks weren’t allowed back in those days because of guys like Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, Lew Alcindor, Jackie Robinson and the list goes on and on.”
The collection showcases the heavyweight champion’s headgear and training robe worn at Dundee’s Fifth Street Gym. It also allows visitors to look at Ali not only for his athletic achievement, but also for his achievements in community activism, resistance, politics, spirituality and culture, the Smithsonian said.
“We are extremely grateful to LeBron James for his support of the museum,” said Damion Thomas, curator of the Sports Gallery. “As the most socially active superstar in sports today, LeBron James is a testament to the influence of Muhammad Ali.
“Ali embodied the racial and social tumult of his times, blurring lines between politics and sports, activism and entertainment.”
The National Museum of African American History and Culture opened Sept. 24 on the National Mall. The nearly 400,000-square-foot museum is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive cultural destination devoted exclusively to exploring, documenting and showcasing the African-American story and its impact on American and world history.
For more information about the museum, visit www.nmaahc.si.edu.