Las Vegas, Feb 19: President Barack Obama lauded Muhammad Ali on Saturday at a birthday celebration for the boxer known simply as “The Greatest” that was attended by some of the world's most famous people.
“Happy birthday, champ,” Obama told Ali through a video message, saying he wished he could have attended the swanky dinner gala in Las Vegas featuring some of the biggest names in sports, film, television and music.
“As a fighter, you were something spectacular,” Obama told Ali, who turned 70 last month. “You shocked the world, and you inspired it, too. And even after all the titles and legendary bouts, you're still doing it.”
About 2,000 people attended the gala to celebrate Ali's life and generate millions of dollars for brain research, a mission Ali's family says is important to him in part because of his nearly 30-year battle with Parkinson's disease.
NFL great Jim Brown said Ali represents the greatest of America, because at one time people only recognized his athletic ability and didn't like what he had to say. That changed over time, he said.
“America started with slavery and ended up with a black president,” Brown said. “Muhammad Ali was a part of that ... a big part.”
Ali's wife, Lonnie Ali, told the star-studded crowd that her husband's greatest wish has always been to inspire and help others. She said he feels that his life really began when he retired from the ring.
“Muhammad's gift of inspiration is timeless, and now more relevant than ever,” she said after being introduced by music icon Quincy Jones.
Lonnie Ali introduced a video montage of her husband's life, including clips from his work with children.
“People look for miracles, people look for wonders, people expect surprises of all kinds,” Ali said in the video. “Yet the greatest wonder, the greatest miracle, the greatest surprise is to be found in one's heart.”
Guests arriving on the red carpet included former NFL player Franco Harris, supermodel Cindy Crawford, actor Samuel L. Jackson, Ali's children and grandchildren and Chuck Wepner, who fought Ali in 1975 for the heavyweight title and lost.
“I would go anywhere in the world for Muhammad Ali's birthday,” Wepner said.
One of Ali's daughters, Rasheda Ali, said the gala is a chance for friends, family and A-list celebrities who look up to her father to show their respect for his life and legacy as a humanitarian. In return, she said he'll be honored to see them there.
“He has not left that need to help others,” Rasheda Ali said. “That's one of his core values—his charity and his giving.”
The gala—with tickets starting at $1,500 per plate—was held at the MGM Grand, the site of most of boxing's major fights the past two decades.
Many famous faces sat at the 160 tables adjacent to two rings and a stage—actors Terrence Howard and Anthony Hopkins, boxer Manny Pacquiao, hip hop artist Common and singer Lenny Kravitz, among others.
They planned performances and tributes to a fighter who went 56-5 in the ring with 37 knockouts and became one of the world's most famous athletes because of his personality and willingness to publicly stand up for his beliefs.
Tennis champion Andre Agassi said Ali has shown the world that each person has a duty—regardless of their occupation—to live for more than him or herself and help others.
“What he did with his platform was unparalleled and the impact he's had as a result, we still feel to this day, which is why we're all out here tonight,” Agassi said. “We're grateful to what he's done. He's been a leader—we're also challenged and charged with a duty of figuring out a way to do more.”
Ali has lived for nearly 30 years with Parkinson's disease, a degenerative brain condition that some doctors say can be brought on by punches to the head.
The gala raised funds for the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health and the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky, a cultural attraction that celebrates Ali's life and pushes educational goals on a wide range of topics for adults and children.
Larry Ruvo, chairman of the clinic's fundraising arm, Keep Memory Alive, said he's not sure whether the fundraiser will exceed its record of $27 million, but he hopes so.
The gala's auction included the gloves Ali wore when he fought Floyd Patterson in 1965, a bout he won by knockout in the 12th round.
“If it's $100, great, $100,000 would be better,” television presenter Larry King said in trying to drum up bids.
Magician David Copperfield auctioned off a four-night trip to his set of 11 private islands in the Bahamas for $300,000.
Boxing promoter Bob Arum said during a pre-gala reception Friday night that Ali will go down as one of the most important Americans in history.
“Without Muhammad Ali, there wouldn't have been an Obama,” he said. “There wouldn't have been a mixed-race president.”
