"I don’t think Billie Jean King knows how special this moment was for me" - American lacrosse star Paul Rabi

Few could rival the charisma and brilliance of Billie Jean King, with the former World No. 1 American garnering a huge following on and off the court. Several people over the years have spoken highly of King, with former American professional lacrosse player Paul Rabil the latest to do so.

King recently attended the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) match between New York Liberty and Chicago Sky, where she was honored with a personalized jersey to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the 1972 American federal civil rights law.

“Such an honor to be given a New York Liberty jersey to commemorate the 50th anniversary of #TitleIX, and to spend some time tonight with Clara Wu, co-owner of the NY Liberty,” King tweeted.

Rabil, the co-founder of the Premier Lacrosse League, was also at the match and used the opportunity to meet King. He later took to social media to shower the 78-year-old with praise and called the meeting a "special moment" for him.

"I don’t think Billie Jean King knows how special this moment was for me — among every life honor & recognition, 39 major titles, her equality & social justice work, one of the greatest ever. What stood out the most? She’s a FIERCE competitor with a passion that lights up an arena," he tweeted.

He also gave special mention to the 12-time singles Grand Slam champion's style.

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"Raise your voices, use your platforms" - Billie Jean King speaks out on WNBA star Brittney Griner's situation

Billie Jean King at an event celebrating the 50th anniversary of Title IX.

Brittney Griner, the Phoenix Mercury center in the WNBA, has been detained in Russia since February after being found guilty of attempting to smuggle illegal narcotics into the country.

The 31-year-old, who was in Russia to compete for UMMC Yekaterinburg, was detained on February 17 after Russian authorities accused her of having hashish oil (a cannabis concentrate) in her luggage at an airport near Moscow.

Billie Jean King has come out in support of Griner, taking to social media to encourage others to use their resources and platform to bring the two-time Olympic gold medalist back to the US.

"Raise your voices. Use your platforms. Bring Brittney Griner home, she tweeted.

The American veteran is a well-known figure amongst the sporting community who has always championed women's causes and equality over the years. She is famously known to be the founding member of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), the governing body of women's tennis.