On April 7, 2025, tennis legend Billie Jean King etched her name into Hollywood history, receiving the first female star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame’s sports entertainment category. The Long Beach native, now 81, joined an elite trio in this division, following Michael Strahan in 2023 and Carl Weathers posthumously. Her star, the 2,807th on the Walk, honors a career blending athletic prowess with entertainment clout.
King’s resume glitters: 39 Grand Slam titles—12 singles, 16 women’s doubles, 11 mixed doubles—and a 1971 milestone as the first woman athlete to pocket $100,000 in a year. Her 1973 “Battle of the Sexes” win over Bobby Riggs, beamed to millions, reshaped views on women’s sports. Beyond the court, she’s collected the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Gold Medal, and a spot among Life magazine’s “100 Most Important Americans of the 20th Century.”
“Sports are entertainment,” King said at the ceremony. “We thrive on the crowd.” She welcomed the new category, launched by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce in 2021 to salute individuals—not teams—for lasting impact in sports and entertainment, per producer Ana Martinez. Yet King urged more: “Let’s keep celebrating women in sports here.”
Fellow Long Beach Poly alum Carl Weathers, known for Apollo Creed in “Rocky,” preceded her. Magic Johnson, a Dodgers co-owner with King, praised her dual legacy. “She’s not just a tennis giant—she’s changed lives with her platform,” he said. Jamie Lee Curtis, a longtime friend, lauded her force. “Billie Jean is power—on the court, in courtrooms, in advocacy,” Curtis declared.
King’s influence stretches wide. In 1970, she joined the “Original Nine” to forge the Virginia Slims Circuit, birthing today’s Women’s Tennis Association. She co-founded World Team Tennis, the first co-ed pro league, and advises the Professional Women’s Hockey League, where the MVP award bears her name. Her TV credits include producing “Groundbreakers” on PBS in 2023, linking legends like her with stars like Naomi Osaka, plus roles on “Law & Order” and “The Odd Couple.”
“Legacy is what others see in you,” King reflected. “It’s the quality of what we give that counts.”
