sandwich. he tore off a corner of it, a piece of bread. he ate it, and he gave the rest to his dog. they've taught me a lot too. i'll close by saying this. an act of kindness can change your day. change someone's day. an act or gesture of kindness can change somebody's life. thank you. [ applause ] >> what a night. we want to thank everybody for joining us. thank you, laura. >> oh, my goodness. thank you for holding my hand. that was beautiful. can you imagine the level of generosity to say give back immediately? this tells you why we do this. thank you so much. you can support all of our honorees right now by going to cnnheroes.com and click "donate." each donate will be met dollar for dollar. if you know someone as amazing as tonight's honorees, you can nominate them to be a cnn hero in 2024 because officially, anderson, nominations are now open. >> we hope that some of these stories have inspired you to get involved and do your part because you, too, can be somebody's hero. thank you and good night . > what's it t like b being jean king?g? >> i have nono idea. i i think since i was young, i mean i told mymy motheher at 7 mommmmy, mommy, , i'm goining t something great with my life. i know it. i can n feel it. >> beingng billie jean king mea knowing frfrom the beginningng wawas destineded foror greatnes >> i knew the first time i went off to get frereezeze instrtruh in lonong beach, i i knew at t d ofof that sessssion i wantnted the number one tennis player in the world. >> how old were you? >> i was 11. that was only the second time i picked up a racquet. >> she quickly fell in love with the sport but also quickly noticed deep inequitities in tennisis that reflecteted the s about the e worlrld. >> a at t 12, i i was s playing los angeleles tennis c club. all the e big tournanaments wer there.e. i was s sitting g in t the stan kind of dadaydreaming.g. it wasas kind of late in the afafternoon. i starteted realizining wore wh shoes, w white clolothes, playe with whihite balls.. everybodody who plplayed was wh. and i asked myself, where is everybodody else? where'e's everybodody elsese? that wasas the momenent i dedec woululd championon equalitity tt of my life.. but i knew tennis would allow me to havave that opportuninity if coululd be good enough. >> s so your driveve to be a te champion went hand in hand witi your dririve to be an activist? >> absolutelely. whatat it is, , is a platfororm. but at 12, i envisioioned anand visualalized the p platform beb i i knew tenennis s was s globo wawanted to trtravel. but my pararents, , we didn't h the moneney to allowow us to t lilike that. so that t was alsoso a driving forcrce, that i woululd hahave d a way. my parents couldn't do it even if they wanted to. mymy dad wasas a firefighterer. my mother was a a homemaker at e time. >> it wouldn't take long for her to become a champion when at 17 years old, she and her 18-year-old partner became the youngest doubles team to win a wimbledon title. five years later, she was a wimbledon singles champion. >> billie, i think everybody would like to know how does it feel to be the new champ? >> i'm very exexcited. right t now i can hahardly beli i'veve won, and d i prprobably realize e it until tomororrow. > telell me aboutut the racq. the new yorkrk historicacal sos ststores artififacts of what ma her great for future generations to see. >> clark and i were the first players to use t this inin 1967 the u.s.s. nationanals, , whiche u.s.s. open.n. and d i wowon, b but this s is . one ththing you don't t want to is hitit your -- god, i hit t m knee o one time onon a slice backhandnd. >> billie e jean king of americ is seeking h her third consecute singles title. >> she became ththe top-raranke femalele plalayer r in the 1960 used her fame and inflfluence t speak k out, s struggling toto convince the underpaid women players to organize and create an association with bargaining power. more on that later. this is saved from the most watched match of her life. in fact, one of f the momost wad mamatches everer in tennis. . >> thahat's the e program atat king/riggsgs match. that was a actually ththe magaz >> that't's someththing. > the epic tennis match betwn 29-year-old billie jean king and 55-year-old bobby riggs, a former u.s. national and wimbledon champion turned self-promoting hustler. the 1973 event, , 50 years a ag wowould be forevever known as " battlele of the e sexexes." >> we e announced itit after wimbledodon, and t then n it wa and running.g. evererybody was talking ababout. peopople had p parties.. theyey had the -- the betting g las vegagas was s out ofof sigh. everybodody was involved.. it's a amazing becausese i thihr the first t time some people stopped and thought about their own gender. how do they relate to the e oppoposite g gender? >> here e the blue sneakers mad justst for her. >> i saiaid d i need a colored for ththe next year becacause w have t television,n, andnd i it cololor nonow. i played witith blue s shoes in kiking/riggs m match. > did you h help desisign it? >> i i helped as far as ---- >> besesides the color?? >> i i helped -- what i did is called up adididas, , and d i w to -- - i sasaid, , may y i coc toto the factory? so i w went over.. they werere in shohock. theyey s said, what? no a athlete as ever wanted to come here. i said, well, i do. i went through the whole factory and thanked each person. >> that is also part of being billie jean king, connecting with people no matter who they are or what they do. seeing them as equal, whwhich i also part of herer s strategy t win.n. >> it t was the daday befofore matctch. i went a and met e everyone e a arena,a, at the astrtrodome. i met the administrarators. i i met ththe securirity guardr becacause what c can happen, if get lost in an arerena, ththat not gogood. and thatat happens a all the tif we havenen't plalayed d there b >> herere comes billie j jean k >> a massive television audience, 90 million people worldwide watctched as s she ma drdramatic entntrance onto the court. >> i didn'n't see the king/rigg match until 25 yeaears a after match. >> realllly? >> yeah, and i wish i i had see it, thouough, bebecause itit w clear in 197973 where e we're e howard c cosell talked about on mymy l looks. > very atattractive y young anand sometimemes you get the feeling that i if she ever let r hair grorow down t to o her sho anand took herer glasses offff, hahave somebodody vyvying for a hollllywood screreen test.t. >> onlnly my looks.. he talked about bobby'y's s -- knknow, what he'd done, , like of famerer, all his accomplishshments, rightht? > one hasn'n't seen in evide the fafamed bobby riggggs s lob mumuch tonightht, genene. >> so when i watch howard d cosl 25 years l later, yeyeah, i don like it because he is exactly what we're trying to get rid of, and he was doing it 100%. >> the battle of the sexes would become a huge moment for femala athlhletes and women f far beye sports. > i'm trying toto helelp wow women'n's sportsts, and evevery really. i was likeke tototally focusede. i knew it t was onone momentnt to help p change thehe hearts a minds ofof peoplple, a and why n those? itit's a greatat opporortunity. that's's how i looked adadd d i. like i w want ththe baball. gigive me the ballll. give me e the ball. i i love t this. whenen i walalked ouout there,e going toto serve and vololley, then i decideded i wasn't gogoio justst serve andnd volleley. i wawas jujust going t to run ho the grground. he undererestimated d me, , whi what he e said when he jumumped net. >> she beat riggs in three straight sets, suddenly catapulting her, she says, to the forefront of various social justice movements. weeks after the match, she at a u.s. senate subcommittee about the proposed women's educational equity act. >> i just related my own personal experiences as a child, the conditioioning that we go through as a girirl that wanant be an atathlete. >> so much h happened in 1973. >> yes, it's a a huge pivotal yr for me personally and for the sport of tennis. > you were named associated press female athlete of the year. you started the women's tennnni asassociation n 50 years ago. > mm-hmm. you knknow what i'm rereally pr of as an athlete, thouough? i won all three at wimblbledon. i won the singles, doubles, and mimixed. and thatat doesn't h happen ver often.n. you u don't win three titleses ththe majojors very ofoften, o say slslams today.y. >> comoming up -- > are you h happy on the cou today? > yeses. >> when an up anand comingng yo chamampion bumpsps into one e o idols -- > if billie says something, u have to remember. >> and we get to witnessss it. >> you know what you're e doing well nowow? your contatact p point. > and laterer - -- >> i thought about it because everyone wanted me to. i get peoplele comoming up to m saying, i i wish you'd'd run fo office. being billie jean king means hahaving this iconic tennis cenr in flushing meadow, home of the u.s. open, named for you. >> i still cannot believe it! >> she remembers her shock getting the news from the u.s.s tennisis associatition presisid > we're goioing to name the center after you. i'm like, i did not hear this right. there's no way i heard that. >> she did, and it happened during a grand ceremony in 2006. >> i hereby officially dedicate the usta billie jean king national tennis center. congratulalations. >> that's s so nice. >> now y you drive up onon the highghway and it says bjk tenni center. >> you never know. just keep trying to do the right thing. >> we were with her just as this year's u.s. open was startrting. she showed us whwhat the stadiu looks likeke from a playayer's t of view. >> this is w where you g go o asashe s stadium. >> at ththe enentrance of arart asashe stadium, centre c court ththe u.s. open, a a plalaque we ofof her famous sayiyings. tetell me abouout the sisign. tell me about thisis saying.g. >> "prpressure is a privililege" this hapappened during fed cup, which is world cup of f women's tennisis in las vevegas. > it just popopped into your head?? >> that't's what happens with m. that's thehe way i do a lot of stuff. i just lovove it because it's s so -- - it's so trtrue. it just t reminds me personalll it's such h a privilegege to be this sportrt. >> as we're talking, t the newe phenenom in women'n's tetennis, gauff,f, walks off the court afr practice. >> hello. >> and i quote you all the time. >> youou do?o? >> i say p pressure is a privile all the time. >> at this moment, the 19-year-old tennis prodigy had won multiple wta t titles but n yeyet the u.s.s. open. >> i've memet t her a couple ti and d my favororite wawas at t billie jeaean king cup t this y. and you u said howow much it wa honor to repreresent your count and that we shouldld carry ourselelves accordiningly. > yeah, t that's good. sesee? this i is what youou love about young ones. they remember! coco particularly. >> if billie says something, you have to remember. . >> n not really.y. >> gauffff's respect a and adadmiration f for king isis pa. >> i i saw youou hittiting e ea >> i lovove hitttting. > one of ththese days i i ha hihit with you. > oh,h, n no. no, ththese kids are too gooood. >> i i'm sure you'llll be e all. >> youou h hit t too hard.d. >> i c can slolow it down if y needed. >> you know whwhat y you're doi reallyly well now? >> what? >> youour contntact point. >> yeaeah, i've been wororking it. ththank you. ththanks, billllie. >> g good luck, okay? one baull at a time. >> this is all because of you. we appreciate it. >> coco gauff would go on to w n her first t u.s. o open titltle weeks lateter. >> c coco gauff!f! >> canan you put into words s w it's likike to competete a as y for soso many years atat thehe t levevel of your sporort? > i just t love t to play.. i lolove to hit t the ball. i still do. it's magicalal. >> butut i like to hit t the ba and d i'm not a championon. >> i like to p perform too. the tennisis court i is ouour r. i see a a tennis court in anany place inin the world, i i just a cocourt, i getet pumped.d. i go, thatat's our s stage. > you're obobviously playing win, but you're e playing g fort you u call the aududience. >> correctct. >> whihich it wowould nevever oo me. > oh, reaeally? >> that you woululd be seeeekin yourself a as a performer.r. >> oh, absolutelely, since i i stararted. oh, absosolutely. >> walkingng through t the hall champions, she e explains whwha takes to b be one. these picturures are like you, championons. >> t there's connonors, ses, alalthea g gibson. >> what dodoes it take to be a chamampion? >> godod has to gigive you theh > you said d you figurered o earlrly the difffference betetw bebeing a chamampion and e ever else is the abability toto liftr game w when you'rere under the greatest pressurure? >> t that's trueue. the champions,s, the great ones ththey'll be p playing along. but whwhen it gegets tightht i matctch, there are certainin po you haveve to win, and that's wn you can raise your game a level. >> what's it like to be a champion, to have -- >> you have to make a commitment before you serve or receive. it's got to be total focus and commitmentnt, like i i migight visusualize i'm m going toto set wide, cocover the line. >> you see it? > i s see it before i i d do. and there'e's total l commititm > despitete her otherworlrld acachievementsts and icocon sts > hey, coach. hi, , dad. how are you? >> -- being g billie jeaean kin approachabable, genuininely ininterested i in others s she especicially youngng people.e. >> hi.i. what's h happening?? >> n nice meetining g you. >> nice meeteting g you too. >> she's's singingng the antheh >> d didn't t you u sing it sos elsese? >> at billie j jean king cup. > i remember r you. you u were u unbelievablble. >> t thank you s so mumuch. >> d do you singng too, or do y lilike s something else?e? what do you like? > dococtor. >> what? > dococtor. > wow, excellent.t. go for it, okay? jujust be e happppy, o okay? >> shehe's echoioing her p pare advice. . >> my parentnts were grereat. they werenen't helicopopter r p, you u know.. i sesee it all the time wiwith kidsds. >> oh,h, sure. >> they wawant theheir chihild nunumber one a all thehe timime. i'm m like give them some space yoyou know?? justst let them be who they'rer going toto be,e, butut be suppo. of c course i'm justst reiterat what my parents did, so i got lucky. >> it worked out for you. for a chamampion like kiking, happinesess can be complicatate duduring competitition. you u say winning isis elationo thenen relelief, butut losining is w what you'rere trying to av >> i h hate so papainful. >> but youou're trying t to ava lolosing more e than -- - >> m more ththan w winning almo >> t the euphoriria of winning. >> therere's a b big parart of sosometimes, absolutelely. the pain nevever realllly y goe. peperformance e is very flfleet. like whehen you're holdingng th trophyhy up, u.s.s. open, , or tournanament, on t the tour or anythingng, on the w wta t tour such a pririvilege to be holold itit up. but it's gone. it's just whoo in the wind forever. >> which is why despite racking up 39 grand slam singles and doubles champipionships, includg a a record 20 0 titles at wiwimbledon ---- >> i m made a very conscscious choicece when i wawas quite you that i k knew i wowouldn't win mamany titles,s, but i wanteted change t the sport.. soso you have toto decide becau you'u're not going to win asas if you s spend time off the cou trying t to change thingngs. >> u up nenext, what billilie j king leaearned in her fifight f eqequal prize e money herere at u.u.s. open.n. >> youou can dreamam a all you . you've got to be in for the long game. you have to be patient, per citizen tent. >> and later, the now 80-yeaear-old is o open abouout. > i havave experienenced d aw too. > really? >> yeah, a and it't's not fun. >> how so? >> just people kind of giviningp on you. they don't't think youou're any good.. being billie jeaean king is beining the facece of equal pay tennis, literalllly. >> o oh, my gosh. . >> that't's prpretty cool.l. >> it isis tototally cool. >> and t they're allll o over r place e here. > i can't't get away. i got to c close my eyes. >> her imamage on poposters all ovover, mamarking g a pipivotal ananniversary,y, 50 years s of prizize money fofor women at th u.s. o open, parart ofof a missr equal pay y she rememberers ini exexcruciatingng d detail. >> tennis bebecame professioionn 1968. whwhat that memeans is i i finat momoney. i usused to get t -- we useded a per dedem of $14 a day. we took tennis from amateurism to being a professssional sport > serves. it's out. billie jean has done it again. for the third time, her name goes on the huge plate. >> in 1968, rod laver won wimbledon.n. he got 2 2,000 poundnds. i won n wimbledon n and got 750 popounds. and i had fofought so hardrd, , lot ofof us had fougught s so hr professisional open tennis.. finanally we havave it, and the get t this cheheck.. whatat is it? 37.5% ofof what rod lalaver got. i go, that's g going to be anonr challengnge now. i wewent, oh, no. my heart sank when i got that check. it's just like, oh, no, now i got to fight for this. >> frustration with disparity in prize money would boil over in 1970 when, in protest, king helped lead a revolt. women players announced they were creating their own tournament. they risked it all, signing $1 contracts with the tournament promoter, and then they played. >> we had an eight-woman tournament, and that is the birth of women's professional tennis. but then what? we need a tour. >> weeks later, the start of a professional women's tour was announced. ♪ ♪ you've come a long way, baby ♪ >> so we got very lucky. virginia slims came in and made a big difference with the money. but we j just -- you knonow, i back, and we're just so lucky, so fortunanate that wewe had pe who wantnted this toto happen a were able -- >> but was it luck? >> well, i think it took a lot of -- i don't know. i don't know if it's luck or not. i think k we all wororked hardr. here are t the three things s w decideded for the e future, and wta, whichch is the wowomen's ts assosociation, t three yearsrs also we kekept i it. we adopteded it, okakay? number one, the rereason we e w doing all we w were doining g wt any girlrl bororn in t this s w she were g good enouough, , shee a a place toto compepete. numberer two, , we wouould b be apappreciated d for our accomplilishments, n not only o looks. and d number three, obviouslsly wewe're going g to make a livin playining the spsport we love. >> you jusust said s something , again, womomen today take for granted.d. >> oh.h. >> youou wanted toto make a liv. the notionon of a womaman mamak living was anathema in society. >> oh, it was huge. >> there's nothing better for a human being to be able to get paid for playing the sport well. we are entertainers. we are performers. and i think k a lot of thehe gi have changed for the better in that they have a lot more personal pride. they feel, i've done i it. i didn't havave to a ask mom a d for the money. i didn't have to ask a group for the money. i did it because i played well. i earned that money. >> then it was the u.s. open. you led the idea of pushing for, for the vevery firirst time ata u.s.s. open, pay equitity. >> i i w was in a a meeting cone afteter i wowon in 1972, and i'n $10,000, and ealy na stassi from romaninia had won $25,000.0. this hadad been goining g on fow yeyears now. i'i'm gettining really s sick o. a lot ofof us were. so i i blulurted out, , we're e coming bacack. this s stinks. we're nonot comiming b back. i hahaven't realally talalked t girlrls yet, which is s true. i'm m thinking, oh, my god, i ie what i'm sayining is trurue. i said, , we're nonot comingng f wewe don't getet equal prize m . i i went and talalked to differ peopople i knew, differentnt compmpanies, andnd saiaid, woul invest thehe money that it w wo take to mamake