The entire sports world -- along with the rest of the world, really -- paused for a moment on Saturday to reflect on the life of the original G.O.A.T., Muhammad Ali. The boxing legend was many things to many different to many different people, but he was something special to Knicks executive Allan Houston, who lived a few doors down from Ali (née Cassius Clay) and the Clay family in Louisville, Ky.
OK, that's the coolest photo ever -- lil' Allan Houston with the heavyweight champion of the world. Jonah Ballow talked to Houston and his parents, who relayed some adorable stories about their famous neighbor:
Muhammad Ali showed up at @ALLAN_HOUSTON’s birthday party when he was 2. This, after the Ken Norton fight in ’73 & w/ a broken jaw.
— Jonah Ballow (@jonahballow) June 4, 2016
.@ALLAN_HOUSTON’s mom Alice exclusively to @jonahballow about her childhood friend, Muhammad Ali: pic.twitter.com/QDLBwNALLF
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) June 4, 2016
Personally, I would have liked to have hung out with Ali the Magician. I grew up next to Chris Mullin's brother, which was cool. Allan Houston's story is way better, though.