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In reply to the discussion: The greatest and his grandson - very cool [View all]happynewyear
(1,724 posts)>>By the final stages of his career, Ali was slurring words. Not long afterward, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's.
Lieberman said he doesn't believe Ali got Parkinson's because of repeated blows to the head because he doesn't have classic Dementia pugilistica.
Ali is coherent and his thought process is still intact, though the Parkinson's forces him to communicate more with gestures and actions instead of words.
Daughter Maryum believes her father's choice of profession had something to do with his fate.
"In my heart, I think it was a combination of Parkinson's and trauma to the head," she said. "He got hit a lot and he fought for a long time."
More: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/othersports/2017257069_ali17.html
I believe that he has had Parkinson's for at least 30 years; onset prior to the end of his career it states, hence closing in on 40 years.