Muhammad Ali's Greatest Quotes

The boxing icon through his powerful words.

The Boxing Icon Had The Gift of Gab - The world lost an American hero today. Muhammad Ali was arguably the world's most popular and revered athlete of all time. He also might have been the best orator the sports world has ever seen. Hey, they called him the Louisville Lip for a reason. BET.com remembers the best quotes from Ali, each showcasing a different facet of the boxing champion and man's beliefs, values and flat out way with words. "Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like A Bee" and "I Shook Up The World...Rumble Young Man Rumble" were just a sampling of his most well-known soundbites. Don't you forget...he is THE GREATEST! Then, now and perhaps that ever will be.(Photo: Kent Gavin/Keystone/Getty Images)

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The Boxing Icon Had The Gift of Gab - The world lost an American hero today. Muhammad Ali was arguably the world's most popular and revered athlete of all time. He also might have been the best orator the sports world has ever seen. Hey, they called him the Louisville Lip for a reason. BET.com remembers the best quotes from Ali, each showcasing a different facet of the boxing champion and man's beliefs, values and flat out way with words. "Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like A Bee" and "I Shook Up The World...Rumble Young Man Rumble" were just a sampling of his most well-known soundbites. Don't you forget...he is THE GREATEST! Then, now and perhaps that ever will be.(Photo: Kent Gavin/Keystone/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo by Kent Gavin/Keystone/Getty Images

Swagger - "If you even dream of beating me, you’d better wake up and apologize!”(Photo: Norman Quicke/Express/Getty Images)

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Swagger - "If you even dream of beating me, you’d better wake up and apologize!”(Photo: Norman Quicke/Express/Getty Images)

A Champion's Fortitude - "Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even." (Photo: Tim Graham/Getty Images)

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A Champion's Fortitude - "Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even." (Photo: Tim Graham/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Tim Graham/Getty Images

Identity - "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." (Photo: Tim Graham/Evening Standard/Getty Images)

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Identity - "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." (Photo: Tim Graham/Evening Standard/Getty Images)

War Not The Answer - "I ain't got nothing against no Viet Cong; no Viet Cong never called me n*****." (Photo: Edwin Feeny, Toronto star/Getty Images)

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War Not The Answer - "I ain't got nothing against no Viet Cong; no Viet Cong never called me n*****." (Photo: Edwin Feeny, Toronto star/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Edwin Feeny

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Tackling Bigotry - "Hating people because of their color is wrong and it doesn't matter which color does the hating...it's just plain wrong." (Photo: Harry Benson/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

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Tackling Bigotry - "Hating people because of their color is wrong and it doesn't matter which color does the hating...it's just plain wrong." (Photo: Harry Benson/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Harry Benson/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

People's Champ - "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." (Photo: Rogers/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

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People's Champ - "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." (Photo: Rogers/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

A Name is Not Just a Name - "Cassius Clay is a slave name. I didn't choose it and I don't want it. I am Muhammad Ali, a free name—it means beloved of God—and I insist people use it when people speak to me and of me."  (Photo: Central Press/Getty Images)

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A Name is Not Just a Name - "Cassius Clay is a slave name. I didn't choose it and I don't want it. I am Muhammad Ali, a free name—it means beloved of God—and I insist people use it when people speak to me and of me."  (Photo: Central Press/Getty Images)

Truth in Jest? - "Boxing is a lot of white men watching two Black men beat each other up." (Photo: Mark Mainz/Getty Images)

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Truth in Jest? - "Boxing is a lot of white men watching two Black men beat each other up." (Photo: Mark Mainz/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Mark Mainz/Getty Images

Definition of Success - "True success is reaching our potential without compromising our values."  (Photo: Vince Bucci/Getty Images for NAACP)

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Definition of Success - "True success is reaching our potential without compromising our values." (Photo: Vince Bucci/Getty Images for NAACP)

Photo By Photo: Vince Bucci/Getty Images for NAACP

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Influential - "Don't count the days, make the days count." (Photo: Brian Bahr/Getty Images)

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Influential - "Don't count the days, make the days count." (Photo: Brian Bahr/Getty Images)

Wisdom - "The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.”(Photo: Hannah Foslien/Getty Images for Starkey Hearing Foundation

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Wisdom - "The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.”(Photo: Hannah Foslien/Getty Images for Starkey Hearing Foundation

Photo By Photo: Hannah Foslien/Getty Images for Starkey Hearing Foundation</i><br></p>