Although the club retains its distinct charm, the club is not completely exclusive. Gaining stars on a celebrity trip to Hollywood remains a highlight of your career, after nearly 67 years of the top eight, the corner of Hollywood Avenue and Highland Avenue.
Just ask Billie Jean King, who became the No. 2,807 winner at Monday's ceremony.
The Dodgers activists and a portion of tennis idols are pleased to be the first woman to win a star in the 2023 celebrity sports entertainment category to recognize athletes’ contribution to the entertainment industry.
During a Q&A session at the celebration with Leah Wyar, president of People magazine, King recalls walking along Hollywood Avenue with his mother as a child.
“We've been here, and I've seen the stars on the walk,” King said. “I never thought, 'Oh, I'm going to have one of them.' I mean, it's not even dawn.”
The unveiling near the intersection of Lakers and Vines was Lakers great and Dodgers owner Magic Johnson and Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis wearing a buckle-free Dodger jacket. Both Johnson and Curtis have stars in their celebrity popularity.
“You always fight for the right thing,” Johnson told 81-year-old King at the ceremony. “You lend the platform, the voice, the time and the money to make a difference.”
Curtis added: “Billie Jean King's contribution is power. Her power on the court, her power in the media, the power advocated by the public, the power in the fight for the power of freedom, becomes the power now.”
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Although King may be known for defeating male tennis player Bobby Riggs in the 1973 “The Battle of Gender,” she has long been an activist in LGBTQ+ and women's rights. She is the first female athlete to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom and Congressional Gold Medal, and she is the founder of the Women’s Sports Foundation and the Women’s Tennis Association.
“She's an amazing person, and my love for Billie Jean is that she uses her platform to transform,” Johnson said at the ceremony. “When we talk about the battle of gender, it's not just you're defeating Bobby Riggs. You're fighting for the same salary as women, and all of this makes all these million-dollar young ladies today should be grateful for everything you did for all these people.”
The king's wife, former tennis player Ilana Kloss, also attended the ceremony.
“Words can't express my honor and gratitude for this star,” Kim wrote on Instagram. “I might be the first woman to be awarded a star,” he wrote. [the sports entertainment] Category, but I certainly won't be the last one. ”
“I don't think female tennis players can do what we did in the 70s unless we have history to learn from. . . It's a very tense period. It's not fun, but it's amazing to produce something that's big in women's tennis right now.”
The Kings and Johnson are two of the few associated with the Dodgers to make the Stars a celebrity journey, including legendary broadcasters Vin Scully and Jaime Jarrín. The Dodgers franchise won the star in 2008, becoming the first team to receive this honor in any sport.
