Dwane Casey has many fond memories of Muhammad Ali.
The boxing legend, who died last week, was someone who resonated with Casey. He admired Ali’s ability to fight civil rights issues and the Raptors head coach paid his respects to the boxing legend in a guest appearance on The Jeff Blair Show on Friday morning.
“(Ali) brings back so many memories, watching his fights, whether it was Joe Frazier or George Foreman,” he said on Sportsnet 590 The Fan. “And the civil implications he brought when I was growing up . I started school in a segregated school and we weren’t allowed to integrate until the fourth grade. So to see what he stood for and how he fought for equality, he was a symbol for all of us.
“When he was going through the fights and standing up for civil rights, people today probably don’t realize the kind of figure he was back in the 1970s.”
Casey went through some tough times himself, as he went through a segregated school in Kentucky and wasn’t allowed to integrate until the fourth grade.
“We had to fight every day because so much prejudice and hatred were bestowed upon the kids at the time,” Casey explained. “They came to school ready to fight and ready to call us names. So the first month of school, it was almost every day. Once they got to know myself and (the other) black (students) as a person, they became our best friends. Some of those guys, we talk about it and laugh about it today — how we fought and then we became teammates and later high school teammates. It was a culture I’ll never forget. My kids won’t have to go through it. Generations today won’t have to go through it.”
Casey recalled a special moment later in his life when he was able to meet Ali a few times once he was retired from boxing and he was throughly impressed with his character and ability to overcome his Parkinson’s disease.
“He still was sharp,” Casey said. “His smile was still sharp. And he knew who was talking to and knew the momen. (There were) just so many things that he stood for in my lifetime. When he was going through the fights and standing up for civil rights, people today probably don’t realize the kind of figure he was back in the 1970s.
