Sports World Honors Muhammad Ali After Boxing Legend Dies at Age 74

The world lost one of its greatest icons Friday, when Muhammad Ali died at the age of 74.

ESPN's Adam Schefter tweeted out a portion of a statement from family spokesperson Bob Gunnell:

Ali had been in a Phoenix-area hospital with respiratory issues.

ABC News reported on June 2 that the former boxing champion was in "fair condition," but Friday, Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times reported things were "very, very grave" for Ali.

There are deaths that shake the foundation of sports, and this is one of them. Ali was a one-of-a-kind legend who was revered and respected by nearly everyone.

There was no limit to his reach throughout the world.

B/R's Chris Martin Palmer noted some of the many historical faces Ali was captured with just in photographs during his lifetime:

There may not have been a more appropriate person to express his condolences following Ali's death than another legend, Los Angeles Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully, who alerted anyone watching the game about what had happened:

President of the United States Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama released a joint statement following Ali's death, courtesy of ABC News:

Undefeated boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. offered a short remembrance of Ali on SportsCenter, followed by a post on Instagram:

Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and fellow boxing legend Evander Holyfield posted messages and photos of themselves with Ali on Twitter. Lineal middleweight champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez called Ali his "idol" along with a very nice message and photograph paired with it:

"

Remembering the good old days with Ali. RIP my brother I will never forget you. #MohammedAli #Legend #TheGreatest pic.twitter.com/TU7UFBGfcj

— Evander Holyfield (@holyfield) June 4, 2016"

ESPN's Michele Steele sent out a quote from legendary boxing promoter Bob Arum, who made a name for himself working with Ali in the mid-1960s:

Mark Berman of Houston's Fox 26 sent out the word from George Foreman, whose first career loss came against Ali at the Rumble in the Jungle in 1974:

HBO boxing analyst Max Kellerman, who has spent most of his professional life around the sport Ali once dominated, expressed his fascination with both the man and the athlete:

Someone trying to sum up who Ali was and what he meant was sportswriter Larry Merchant, who offered some of his thoughts on MSNBC (via NBC News' Chris Jansing):

UFC President Dana White expressed his sorrow with an emoji and one of the many iconic photographs of the champ, while UFC star Conor McGregor released a statement, too:

Kevin Casey, Ali's son-in-law, spoke about the boxing legend at UFC 199, per UFC Europe:

U.S. soccer star Alex Morgan offered a personal story about what Ali meant to her as an athlete, while soccer icon Pele shared his thoughts via Instagram:

The Baltimore Ravens offered a special tribute to Ali, recapping his visit with the team during the 2012 season, while New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady shared one of his favorite quotes and pictures on Facebook:

The NFL offered its condolences with one of Ali's most famous quotes, which summed up the essence of the man who wore the boxing gloves, and former NFL stars Jim Brown, Tony Gonzalez and Barry Sanders paid their respects on Twitter:

Major League Baseball offered a short video of Ali showing off his charisma and charm prior to throwing out the first pitch at the 2004 All-Star Game at Minute Maid Park in Houston:

Former MLB home run king Hank Aaron offered his condolences:

Former New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter also wrote about Ali's important on the Players' Tribune:

"

I got to know [Ali] mostly through my dad, who told me many stories about the Greatest when I was growing up. I even met Ali a couple of times at events, and though he never said much he was always a huge presence. He was at the All-Star Game in 2004, and we were all in awe of him. Didn’t matter what generation you were from: He was the Greatest.

He was one of the first athletes to speak his mind, and that opened the door for the many who do so today. He always stood up for what he believed, no matter what the cost.

Ali was also the first to bring real personality to sports, and by that I mean he was always himself, no matter who he was with or where he was.

He freed us all in that way.

"

Golf icon Tiger Woods took to Twitter to share his thoughts:

Trying to sum up the power Ali had over everyone can be difficult, though Bleacher Report's Howard Beck shared a story involving one of the most unflappable athletes of this generation upon seeing the three-time heavyweight champion:

"When I was a kid, I was amazed by what Ali did in the ring," LeBron James said prior to Ali's death, per ESPN.com's Chris Broussard. He continued:

"

As I got older and started to read about him and watch things about him, I started to realize what he did in the ring was secondary to what he meant outside of the ring—just his influence, what he stood for.

The reason why he's the GOAT is not because of what he did in the ring, which was unbelievable.

It's what he did outside of the ring, what he believed in, what he stood for, along with Jim Brown and Oscar Robertson, Lew Alcindor—obviously, who became Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar]—Bill Russell, Jackie Robinson. Those guys stood for something. He's part of the reason why African-Americans today can do what we do in the sports world. We're free. They allow us to have access to anything we want. It's because of what they stood for, and Muhammad Ali was definitely the pioneer for that.

People forget what you did as a professional. People forget the championships and all the other things you were able to accomplish. But they will never forget how you made them feel. That's a Maya Angelou quote, but I'll transcend that into what Muhammad Ali was able to do. So it's very important.

"

Stephen Curry offered his sentiments as well, per Ethan Strauss of ESPN:

"

"It depends on how you see your platform and why I'm sitting up here and why I get blessed with the ability to impact people whether it's how I play or what I say. I don't take that lightly and obviously I have certain beliefs and certain things that if you ask me I'll tell you. For the most part, as an athlete you are somewhat of a role model whether you like it or not. And being sensitive to certain situations and to the current events that are going on, you've got to have a certain stand. It is very tricky at times because you're either on one side or the other and you're going to offend somebody or not. It kind of just comes with the territory and whether you think that's important or not, that depends on the person. So, Ali was the example of how you use your platform and speak what you believe no matter what people are saying. Look at him, there's a sense of confidence in that regard, for sure."

"

Miami Heat forward Luol Deng and Washington Wizards guard John Wall posted on Instagram more of Ali's best quotes along with a glorious picture to pair with it, and NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar posted a message on Facebook:

Former NBA great and current college basketball commentator Bill Walton shared a picture of himself with Ali, along with a tribute:

Turner Sports PR provided a statement from basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley: "'Hero' and 'Legend' are used casually today. Muhammad Ali, Dr. Martin Luther King and Bill Russell are both and always will be. I can't thank these three men enough and it has nothing to do with sports. Thank you, Champ. RIP."

Beck provided a statement from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver:

The Associated Press (h/t ABC7News.com) reported the NBA will honor Ali with a moment of silence prior to Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban spoke about Ali on Dari & Mel, per Chris Vannini of CoachingSearch.com:

"

To be a champion is special. It’s not the human condition to be as good as you can be. You have to have special characteristics, special traits, which Muhammad Ali certainly did. Champions don’t belong on the ground. When he got knocked down in one of the Frazier fights, he got up and finished the fight because his pride, he didn’t belong there. That’s not who he is. That’s not how he wants to be thought of. He got up and finished the fight.

"

Pro wrestling legend Mick Foley tweeted out an appropriate comic book cover featuring Ali taking on the biggest superhero in the fictional world, and WWE's Vince McMahon and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson honored Ali as well:

Finally, David J. Roth of Vice Sports summed up what made Ali such a vital figure in the world and more than just a sports legend:

Ali was a man of strong principles and convictions. He never shied away from letting anyone know what he thought, even if it made him unpopular. Perhaps most notably, his refusal to fight in the Vietnam War got him exiled from boxing for more than three years.

It's impossible to overstate the impact Ali had on the world. He began his life as Cassius Clay, winning an Olympic gold medal in 1960 before becoming the man everyone would grow to know and love. His role outside of boxing remained huge after his career ended, as he helped secure the release of 15 hostages in Iraq in 1990.

Ali was the kind of talent who comes along only once in a lifetime, if you're lucky, and one whose legacy will last forever.