Carly Mallenbaum

USA TODAY

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — You'd literally need to float like a butterfly to walk on Muhammad Ali's Hollywood star.

The engraved star, which was presented in 2002, is alone on a wall, while the nearby stars of Steven Spielberg, Halle Berry and Nicole Kidman cover the Walk of Fame sidewalk. On Saturday, Ali's star at 6801 Hollywood Blvd. became a sort of memorial site for the athlete who died Friday.

But why is the star on the wall?

Ana Martinez, the producer of the Walk of Fame ceremonies, says Ali "did not want the name of Muhammad to be stepped on," and so in 2002, Ali's star was ceremoniously presented on an easel (as opposed to being unveiled on the ground, like the others) and then put on the wall at the entrance to what is now called Dolby Theatre.

As for why Ali received an honor that is generally reserved for filmmakers, actors and musicians, Martinez explains: "He was a showman. He had two Grammy-nominated spoken word albums. He was an entertainer, as well."

At noon Saturday, Martinez placed a wreath of flowers at the site of Ali's star, and presented a card to his family that read, "Float like a butterfly. Rest in peace, Mr. Ali." All day Saturday, a security team helped facilitate a line of fans who arrived to take pictures, place flowers and often pose with clenched fists in front of the star.

Sheryl Pruitt, 58, from Twinsburg, Ohio, stopped by the star with her family "just to pay respects," she said. "We're trying to pass this on to our children, the great impact Muhammad Ali had on the world, on sports," she said after posing in front of the star with her two sons and daughter.

Meanwhile, John Watson, 40, from Philadelphia visited Ali's star solo. He said it was a no-brainer to show up after hearing the news of Ali's death because "he was the champ, the best boxer, hall of fame. Muhammad Ali was a king."

Ali's impact was felt by those visiting from outside of the United States, too. "He's a legend. He's so inspiring for all of us, even when he was dealing with his illness" Hessa Alqahtla, 23 of Saudi Arabia.

Back in 2002, before Ali's star ceremony, then-chairman of the Walk of Fame committee Johnny Grant said that Ali was worthy of a star for several reasons, including this: "Since the day he won worldwide recognition with an Olympic gold medal, his life has been walking theater."

Grant was the man who approved Ali's request to have his star on the wall. According to Martinez, who's been with the Walk of Fame for two decades, no other honoree has ever been granted a similar request, and probably never will.