– ‘You can go now’ –
The official cause of Ali’s death was septic shock due to unspecified natural causes.
Gunnell said Ali had sought medical attention for a cough, but his condition rapidly deteriorated. He was admitted to a hospital in the Phoenix suburb of Scottsdale, where he had lived for several years with his wife Lonnie.
Ali’s family ultimately removed him from life support on Friday, Gunnell said.
“Our hearts are literally hurting. But we are happy daddy is free now,” one of Ali’s nine children, daughter Hana, wrote on Twitter.
“We all tried to stay strong and whispered in his ear, ‘You can go now. We will be okay,’” she wrote.
Political leaders, sports figures, celebrities and fans around the world paused to remember “The Greatest,” whose remarkable career spanned three decades.
“Muhammad Ali was The Greatest. Period,” US President Barack Obama said.
“His fight outside the ring would cost him his title and his public standing. It would earn him enemies on the left and the right, make him reviled and nearly send him to jail. But Ali stood his ground.”
Tributes for Ali – who converted to Islam in the 1960s – even came from Iran, where Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called him “#TheGreatest in the ring and in the fight for justice, dignity and peace.”
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