Sports Illustrated - USA (2020-12)

S O

T Y

When I was asked to

write this article

about LeBron James’s

receiving the

Mu ha mmad A li

Legacy Award,

a SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

editor suggested I

mention something

about LeBron’s picking

up the social justice

torch that Ali and I had

carried—and that

I like to believe I’m

still carrying.

JO

HN

W

.^ M

CD

ON

OU

GH

(^2

)

BY KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR

Six-time NBA champion, 1985 SI Sportsperson of the Year,

2016 Muhammad Ali Legacy Award winner