Kindness of O'Neal inspired by boxing's Ali

Shaquille O'Neal hopes to carry on the legacy of late boxing great Muhammad Ali, the retired four-time National Basketball Association (NBA) champion said, as he uses his fame to advance his philanthropic work.

- REUTERS

O'Neal will be honored on Nov 9 at the Muhammad Ali Centre in Louisville for his work supporting underprivileged youth, a cause that reflects the ideals that "The Greatest" championed, Ali's widow Lonnie Ali said.

"We don't give this out lightly," Ali said in a joint-interview with O'Neal.

"We give it to people who emulate Muhammad's example, who bring that Ali spirit and carry that torch forward to the next generation."

She said she sees a lot of her husband, a global icon known as much for his political activism as his boxing brilliance, in Hall of Famer O'Neal.

"He has a compassionate and kind heart, like Muhammad had," she added.