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It was a stroke of luck—bad luck—that got Muhammad Ali into the ring for the first time. The Louisville, Kentucky, native was 12 years old when his brand-new bicycle was stolen. The police officer to whom Ali reported the theft happened to own a boxing gym—and became his first coach.
Ten years later, in 1964, Ali, then still known by his birth name, Cassius Clay, became the world heavyweight champion when he defeated reigning titleholder Sonny Liston. The athlete, who earned the nickname “The Greatest,” would go on to win that title two more times, as well as an Olympic gold medal and numerous honors for his civil rights activism and humanitarian work.
There was, of course, another side to the legend: his domestic life. As we gear up for the release of the Prime Video series The Greatest, which explores the prizefighter’s rise to prominence, we’re looking back at photos of Ali in his off-duty hours.
Ali in his Chicago home.
Photo: Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images