Tennis icon and equal rights advocate Billie Jean King honored with star on Walk of Fame
Tennis legend Billie Jean King is officially etched into the fabric of Hollywood.
The 12-time singles Grand Slam winner was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Monday, with NBA star Earvin "Magic" Johnson and actress Jamie Lee Curtis taking the stage to speak on the former pro.
King, a California native, opened her speech thanking the two guest speakers.
"Thank you for being here and making the effort," she said, saying it was an honor to join both speakers who already have stars on the famous stretch.
"My mother would have loved this, I cannot tell you, she would have been in heaven. She is in heaven," she said, recounting her love of Hollywood, particularly in her youth.
King, who became the first women honored with a star in the sports entertainment category, referenced her history of advocacy of women in sports, saying it was important that she is "not the last" women athlete honored at the Walk of Fame in the category.
"We all need to work together to make sure women in sports are celebrated here in Hollywood," she added.
She also mentioned friends of hers who were in attendance, including tennis star Maria Sharapova, who she said "changed tennis and the landscape of sports forever."
King shared love for her wife, Ilana Kloss, who she called her "north star" before concluding her speech discussing the importance of legacy and telling the crowd, "My star is your star."
Johnson kicked off the event as the first guest speaker calling King one of the "greatest tennis players that's ever played" as well as "one of the greatest people."
The Los Angeles Lakers icon also recognized King's pattern of standing up for social issues she believed in, saying "that's what makes you special."
Curtis followed Johnson and celebrated King's legacy saying "Billie Jean King's contribution is power."
King, 81, has served as a trailblazer for gender equality in sports for much of her life. Her advocacy for equal pay in tennis led to the U.S. Open becoming the first Grand Slam tournament to offer men and women equal prize money in 1973, which cemented her legacy as a champion of women's rights.
That same year, King defeated Bobby Riggs in the "Battle of the Sexes" match, a watershed moment for both tennis and the women's movement. The match was watched by some 90 million viewers tuned in worldwide, which further propelled the fight for equality in sports.
