Photograph by Stephen Green-Armytage

"'As 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.'"

"'The 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.'"

Text by Curry Kirkpatrick
Issue Date: December 25, 1972

In 1972 UCLA basketball coach John Wooden, the mild-mannered Wizard of Westwood, coached the Bruins to an unprecedented sixth straight NCAA title. The championship team, led by future NBA star Bill Walton, was the seventh of 10 squads to cut down the net during Wooden's 24-year career at UCLA.

In 1972 Billie Jean King dominated the women's pro tennis circuit. She swept the four major tournaments to win the Grand Slam, and became the first female player to win over $100,000 in a year. King's soaring popularity helped the women's matches outdraw the men's at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, and made the case for equal opportunities and earnings for female athletes.