Muhammad Ali once said he wanted to be remembered “as a black man who won the heavyweight title and who was humorous and who treated everyone right.”
The boxing great died Friday at the age of 74. In a 1975 interview with Playboy, Ali was asked how he thought he would be remembered. His multidimensional answer is a telling portrait of an icon known as a boxing champion and powerful social justice advocate.
The interview was conducted before Ali defeated Joe Frazier in the “Thrilla in Manila” Heavyweight World Championship.
Here’s Ali’s full answer, as reported by Playboy:
For much more on Muhammad Ali, see TIME’s ALI: The Greatest, a 112-page, fully illustrated commemorative edition. Available at retailers and at AMAZON.COM
