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Allison Shelley/For The Washington Post via Getty Images
James, his foundation and his longtime friend and business partner Maverick Carter kicked in $2.5 million to help fund the Muhammad Ali: A Force for Change exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture when the institution opened in its new home on the National Mall in 2016.
"Muhammad Ali is such a cornerstone of me as an athlete because of what he represented not only in the ring as a champion but more outside the ring—what he stood for, what he spoke for, his demeanor," James told USA Today at the time. "I think of him every day. Without his passion and goals and morals, I don't know if I'd be sitting here today talking to you about it."
Fellow big donors to the exhibit included Michael Jordan, who gave $5 million, and Magic Johnson, who added another $1 million.