Is Steph Curry from Akron? The answer is yes. The Beacon Journal revealed in 2015 that Curry was born in Akron, Ohio, at the same hospital as fellow basketball superstar LeBron James.
The two prominent NBA stars, considered among the best of their generation, were born just 39 months apart at Akron City Hospital, now referred to as Summa Health System. Dr. Edward Ferris, residency director and vice chair of obstetrics and gynecology at the hospital, humorously suggested in a 2015 interview that parents wishing for their children to become NBA players should have them delivered there.
While Akron is home to many notable individuals, including LeBron James and the band The Black Keys, Curry’s roots trace back to the city where his father, Dell Curry, played for the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 1987-88 season. Steph Curry was born on March 14, 1988. Despite his birthplace, he spent most of his upbringing in Charlotte, North Carolina, where his father played for the Hornets from 1988 to 1998. In 2023, Steph returned to Akron to advocate for increased diversity in golf.
Though Curry and James are the most recognized NBA figures from Akron, they are part of a larger group of current NBA players from the city, including Malachi Branham of the San Antonio Spurs, Chris Livingston of the Milwaukee Bucks, and Larry Nance Jr. of the Atlanta Hawks.
Akron has also produced several former NBA players, such as Chris Owens, Jerome Lane, Steve Johnson, Bill Turner, Nate Thurmond, Gus Johnson, Jimmy Darrow, Chuck Noble, and Charlie Share. Both Thurmond and Gus Johnson were highlights of the famous Central High School basketball teams from the 1950s and are inductees of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2023, they were also honored alongside LeBron James in the Akron Public Schools Athletics Hall of Fame.