The way Billie Jean King remembers it, growing up in Long Beach, Calif., she just wanted to be in the game. Any game. She played softball, basketball, and then the future court legend took up tennis in the fifth grade. But she learned quickly: The rules in sports varied by gender. So did the rewards.
"I'll never forget," says King, now 80. "I was 9 years old, and my dad took me to a Minor League Baseball game. I remember looking out there, at the game, and my heart sank." King says she thought to herself: I can't play professional baseball because I'm a girl. "It really was a horrible day. There was really nothing for girls in sports then. There was no way we could make a living, that's for sure. Whereas the guys were making a living."
This story is from the May 20, 2024 edition of People US.
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This story is from the May 20, 2024 edition of People US.
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