Kareem Abdul-Jabbar shares heartfelt tribute to 'my friend and mentor, Muhammad Ali'

Muhammad Ali paved the way for Lew Alcindor to convert to Islam and change his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1971.

Ali was a mentor to Abdul-Jabbar in more ways than that, and the hoops legend paid tribute to the boxing legend Friday in an eloquent statement posted on Facebook.

"I may be 7'2" but I never felt taller than when standing in his shadow," Abdul-Jabber wrote of his "friend and mentor". Read the complete memorial below.