Steph Curry, the renowned basketball player, was indeed born in Akron, Ohio. According to a report from the Beacon Journal in 2015, Curry was born at Akron City Hospital, which is now known as Summa Health System, just 39 months before LeBron James, who was also born at the same hospital.
Dr. Edward Ferris, who is the residency director and vice chair of obstetrics and gynecology at Summa Akron City Hospital, humorously suggested in the 2015 interview that anyone hoping for their child to become an NBA player should consider delivering them at Summa.
While Curry’s birthplace is Akron, he spent most of his childhood in Charlotte, North Carolina, as his father, Dell Curry, played for the Charlotte Hornets from 1988 to 1998. Steph Curry returned to Akron in 2023 to support efforts aimed at increasing diversity in the sport of golf.
In addition to Curry and James, Akron has produced several other NBA players, including Malachi Branham of the San Antonio Spurs, Chris Livingston of the Milwaukee Bucks, and Larry Nance Jr. of the Atlanta Hawks, making for a notable representation from the city.
Akron has a rich basketball heritage, featuring past players such as Chris Owens, Jerome Lane, Steve Johnson, Bill Turner, Nate Thurmond, Gus Johnson, Jimmy Darrow, Chuck Noble, and Charlie Share. Notably, Thurmond and Gus Johnson were part of celebrated Central High School teams in the 1950s and are both honored in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2023, they were also inducted into the Akron Public Schools Athletics Hall of Fame, alongside LeBron James, who received a special recognition.