we've lost bob gunnel. bob costas, i want to bring a friend of yours into this conversation by way of reading another quote. "muhammad ali, as big a sports star as this country has ever produced. the biggest sports star anywhere over the past 50 years." that was written by our friend mike lupica, who so many people know as a journalist and author. a frequent guest on espn. a frequent guest we're happy to say here. a columnist of course for the "new york daily news." mike, knowing your friend bob is on the phone with us, your thoughts. >> well, brian, what's interesting is ali was the first modern sports hero. i mean, every controversial -- every guy who's done all this branding ever since is a child of muhammad ali. but i don't think that he thought of it that way. this was the power of a dazzling talent and a dazzling personality, whomate world pay attention to him. and think of the run he had. he wins the title for the first time in 1964. he wins it for the third time in 1978. >> pretty incredible. i'm tol

. >> reporter: and there you have it muhammad ali family spokesman bob gunnel giving us a little bit more detail about when those memorial and funeral services are going to be held. also some details about his final moments as well after being admitted to the phoenix air hospital. he is going to pass by the center on friday. he is also going to spend some time, the caravan is going to make its way down to street. literally two blocks where i stand. here, behind me, this memorial continues to grow. this is a memorial that popped up late last night. very, very late when it became clear that this was one fight that the champ would not win. folks who have been streaming by this memorial all day have been dropping off flowers and balloons. we have seen a number of folks embrace and wife tears away only fitting that this 74 year old will be laid to rest where it all started here learning to box at the age of 12 when someone stole his bicycle. that $60 bike he was going to go and find whoever did it and in his words "whoop them," the officer says perhaps you should learn how to fight first.

. >> bob gunnell was ali's close friend and was in the hospital when he passed away. he said his wife, lonnie, took him to a doctor tuesday with a small coff. they went home with medication. >> it didn't help. he checked into the hospital. we assumed it would be a short hospital stay. >> reporter: like it has been before. >> like it has been before. within 24 hours, it became worse, and lonnie called and i could tell in her voice there was an issue. >> reporter: ali's family flew to phoenix on friday to be by his bedside. his close friend john ramsey was also at the hospital. >> a lot of emotion last night. un, these kids, like their father, they're spurl. they had a lot of good stories. there were tears, there were hugs, there were laughs. it was good to see, you know, everybody in one room. >> reporter: at that point ali was on a ventilator and his organs were shutting down. >> it took a bad turn. it hit him hard, and muhammad's got off the mat a lot of times. he just couldn't do it this time. >> reporter: his family had to make a decision. >> muhammad was meticulou

a family spokesperson and long-time friend bob gunnell. >> the only thing that lonnie has ever said, and i think it's accurate, she said to me, "i've loved that man my entire life." she literally has loved muhammad ali since they met when she was six years old. >> reporter: in 1986, two years after the three-time heavyweight champion announced he had parkinson's disease, they got married. they later adopted a son, ali's ninth child, assad ali. late today he visited the memorial for the first time since his father's death. can you talk to us more about what your mother's impact has been on your father's legacy? >> can't really put into words what she's done for him and for our family period. like i said, she's all of our rock. she was, there you know, when he was at his lowest and brought him back up. >> reporter: the late ed bradley spent time with the couple for "60 minutes." >> he is very aware of his time here on earth, and he has sort of planned the rest of his life to do things so that he is assured a place in heaven. >> people shouldn't feel sorry for him? >> absolutely not. ab

. >> that was bob gunnel expecting that ali's death was likely due to the parkinson's disease. he was diagnosed in 1984. joining me now is dr. michael oken. he is now codirector for movement-disorders. doctor, thank you once again for being with me. some questions that people might have as it relates to parkinson's, did the years in the boxing levering hahave any parkinson's? >> i think it could he have been punched and taking a lot of hits in the ring. if you look at his picture around you look at his case, what you will see is somebody that got parkinson young in their 30s, diagnosed in their 40s, started on one side of the body, not on both sides of the body, responded to these medications that we give to parkinson's patients, it is likely he actually had park sons disease and on top of that maybe some of the speech slurring where from being hit in the ring, there's a clear picture that we understand a little bit more that this looks like regular par-- parks sons diseas. >> i have watched him face the disease with grace and humor and he has inspired countless patients to do

family spokesperson and long time friend, bob gunnel. >> the only thing that lani ever said, accurate, she said to me i have loved that man my entire life. she literally has loved muhammad ali since she was 6 years old. >> reporter: in 1986, two years after the three time heavyweight champion announced he had parkinson's disease they got married. they later adopt aid son, ali's ninth child, assad ali. late today he visit itted the memorial for the first time since his father's death. >> reporter: can you talk to us more about what your mother's impact has been on your father's legacy. >> can't really put it into word. what she has done for him. and for our family, period. like i said, she is all of our rock. she was there, you know, when he, was at his lowest. brought him back up. >> reporter: the late ed bradley spent time with the couple for "60 minutes." >> he is very aware of his time here on earth. he has sort of planned the rest of his life to do things so that he is assured a place in heaven. >> people shouldn't feel sorry for him? >> absolutely not. absolutely not. >> reporter

you've been listening to bob gunnell in scottsdale, arizona.hat's where muhammad ali passed away last night at 9:10 p.m. local time. that's 12:10 eastern time. the spokesman for the family there gave us details of the funeral and memorial arrangements. extensive details. very interesting details. over the next 24 to 48 hours muhammad ali will return to louisville kentucky, his hometown. on thursday there will be a private service for the family only and then friday, friday will be a day that, i think, will go down in history in this city. muhammad ali's hometown. there will be a funeral procession through the streets of this city. by the muhammad ali center, where i'm standing now. by his boyhood home, down muhammad ali avenue, a street named after him. there will be a public memorial service where muhammad ali will be yule guised by brian gumble, billy crystal, and president bill clinton. these arrangements were planned before by muhammad ali himself. it's something he apparently discussed very much over the years. the public memorial will be