SAN FRANCISCO -- When D’Angelo Russell moved to the Bay Area, he knew exactly how he wanted to style his home. Russell, acquired by the Warriors last summer, told an interior decorator he wanted a black and white theme -- and a red light.
The red light is a neon sign in his living room with a Muhammad Ali quote: "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee."
Ali and Russell are both from Louisville, Ky. The man known as "The Greatest" -- the best heavyweight boxer of all time -- has inspired Russell since childhood.
“People ask, ‘Who would you want to be if you could be anyone for a day?’ It was always Muhammad Ali. 'Who are your role models?’ Always Muhammad Ali," Russell told NBC Sports Bay Area.
"Every little thing he did felt so powerful. He was a great mind."
Walk inside Russell’s front door and there’s a big bookcase with a huge edition of Ali’s autobiography. He has a collection of fight posters, portraits and bobbleheads.
His decorator wasn’t so sure.
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"She was like, ‘You don’t want it to be a Muhammad Ali museum,’" Russell said. "I said, that’s exactly what I want."
The decorator saw things his way and found the neon sign.
For Russell, going back to his roots means touching down at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. A 10-minute drive leads to the downtown area along the Ohio River, where the six-story, 96,750 square-foot Muhammad Ali Center lights up the waterfront.
The first time Russell came home after his 2015 NBA draft night and Summer League, his family threw him a surprise party at the Center.
Drive a few blocks west, then south -- crossing Muhammad Ali Boulevard -- and you’ll arrive at Central High School, where Russell and Ali both attended.
Russell explained basketball was his ticket to attend any high school he wanted. His brothers and his mom went to Central. When Russell started loving Ali as a kid, it felt right to walk the same halls. Prep school was coming for Russell for his sophomore year, so he chose Central as a freshman.
“One year, just to say I went to his school. I’ll take that with me forever,” Russell said.
Russell remembers boxing gloves, murals and quotes in those halls. He has studied Ali’s interviews. He is struck by Ali's cadence of speech, as masterfully crafted as his footwork in the ring.
“I enjoyed the way he talked. The way he carried himself in interviews. He was always two steps ahead,” Russell said.
The substance of Ali’s words made a mark on the young Warriors guard. Russell said his hero’s favorite fight wasn’t in the ring, but rather when he refused to serve in the Vietnam War as a conscientious objector.
“It wasn’t about his fights. It was how he carried himself," Russell said.
"He was the people’s champ. Everybody loved him, it was about his legacy. He paved the way for African Americans. During those times when it came to black athletes and movements, he partnered with a lot of great leaders. He tapped into so many different things.”
Ali’s mark is now ink on Russell’s right calf muscle. He has even considered learning more about what it means to be Muslim.
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Ali has been Russell’s beacon, from childhood to Central to a Florida prep school. Then to one year at Ohio State University, and finally three NBA teams in his first five years in the league.
Russell is only 23, and miles away from Louisville. But he finds home in the glow of "The Greatest."