Muhammad Ali released from the hospital - spokesman

(Reuters) - Boxing legend Muhammad Ali has been released from the hospital after being admitted last month with a severe urinary tract infection, a family spokesman said on Wednesday.

Spokesman Bob Gunnell said Ali, who was released on Tuesday night, appreciates the "outpouring of support and continued well wishes" and was looking forward to celebrating his 73rd birthday with family and friends.

The three-time world heavyweight champion was admitted to an undisclosed hospital on Dec. 20 with what had been believed to be a mild case of pneumonia. Doctors, however, later determined Ali was actually suffering from a severe urinary tract infection, Gunnell said.

Ali, 72, nicknamed "The Greatest," was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease about three years after he retired from boxing in 1981 with a 56-5 record.

(Reporting by Steve Ginsburg; Editing by Doina Chiacu)