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Graham Bensinger
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Dirk Nowitzki: Parents considered stunting my growth
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![Billie Jean King: Battle of the Sexes, coming out & fighting for equal pay [2014]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/odwKpxjE6U8/mqdefault.jpg "Billie Jean King: Battle of the Sexes, coming out & fighting for equal pay [2014]
Tennis legend Billie Jean King opens up in this full, unfiltered interview — from her humble beginnings in Long Beach with a $8.29 lavender racket, to defeating Bobby Riggs in the iconic 1973 Battle of the Sexes, to the press conference where she publicly came out and lost every endorsement overnight.
King discusses the founding of womens professional tennis, the fight for equal prize money, her decades-long battle with an eating disorder, and how Title IX changed the landscape for female athletes forever. She also shares candid thoughts on the Williams sisters, the state of American tennis today, and why she considers World TeamTennis her greatest legacy.
A must-watch conversation with one of the most significant athletes and activists of the 20th century. Episode debuted nationwide in 2014.
#interview #tennis #podcast
00:00 – Introduction & Banter
00:20 – Writing Books & Womens Sports Coverage
03:23 – Media Access for Todays Athletes
04:09 – Growing Up in Long Beach & Discovering Tennis
07:00 – Earning Her First Racket
07:57 – Free Lessons & Meeting Coach Clyde Walker
09:11 – Reverend Bob Richards Influence
10:45 – Money Lessons from Her Mother
13:02 – College, Larry King & Becoming a Feminist
15:06 – Practice Habits & Her Epiphany at Age 12
18:04 – First Taste of Fame (Upsetting Margaret Court)
19:46 – Shamateurism & Surviving on Almost No Prize Money
25:28 – Breaking Away to Start the Womens Tour
28:52 – Coming Out & the Press Conference
33:03 – Eating Disorder & Self-Acceptance
35:44 – Losing Endorsements After Coming Out
37:38 – State of American Tennis Today
42:13 – The Williams Sisters Impact
45:43 – Tanking in Tennis
48:34 – Setting Up the Battle of the Sexes
52:38 – Reliving the Match Against Bobby Riggs
55:22 – The Matchs Legacy & Impact on Men and Women
59:49 – Founding World Team Tennis
1:02:35 – Presidential Medal of Freedom
1:04:29 – Closing Thoughts
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