he crux has nothing to do with Women's Lib. We don't want to compete against men. We just want the opportunity to get into sports programs at all levels...I wanted a sport where I could still be considered feminine. That hasn't been easy. Hopefully, no longer are we regarded as muscle-bound, Amazonian jerks." s I look back, most everything I have is a result of sport. Oh, I know it's the toy part of the world and I'm not significant in any worldly fashion. But a long time ago I found this niche and it has been right for me. I've enjoyed coaching, teaching and the relationships...I am content. I have peace of mind, and I worry about how much I'm going to miss sport when I get out of it in the near future." Photographs by Stephen Green-Armytage Text by Curry Kirkpatrick In 1972, Billie Jean King swept three Grand Slams (Wimbledon, U.S. Open and French Open) and became the first woman to win over $100,000. One year later, King beat Bobby Riggs in a match dubbed, "The Battle of the Sexes," making her an inadvertent champion of women's rights. She teamed with Martina Navratilova in 1976 to win the Wimbledon doubles title, giving her a record 20 Wimbledon championships. King retired in 1983 and was enshrined in the International Tennis Hall of fame four years later. King, now 54, has been an AIDS fundraiser, the organizer of the Virginia Slims Legends tournament in which she has also played, the overseer of World Team Tennis, the captain of the United States' Federation Cup team and a Wimbledon broadcaster for HBO. In 1972, John Wooden coached UCLA to its sixth straight NCAA championship and the seventh of his career. Wooden retired in 1975 after winning his 10th NCAA title. He is the only man in the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach. Now 87, Wooden is writing a book of poetry at his home in Encino, Calif., and is advising UCLA coach Steve Lavin, who is 54 years his junior.
	Sportsmen of the Year: 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996