Where was LeBron James born?
LeBron James was born on December 30, 1984, at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center in Akron, Ohio. This academic medical center and Level II trauma center serves Northeast Ohio and is part of the Cleveland Clinic health system. The birth occurred in a mid-1980s obstetrics ward; records and repeated biographies consistently cite this facility. Below, we consolidate verified details, clarify common confusion with other Akron hospitals, and explain how to interpret birth location data for public figures.
Key facts at a glance
| Attribute | Verified Detail | Source Type |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | LeBron Raymone James Sr. | Official birth certificate and biographies |
| Date of birth | December 30, 1984 | Public records and biographies |
| Birth hospital | St. Vincent Charity Medical Center | Hospital archives, biographies, news retrospectives |
| City/State | Akron, Ohio, United States | Vital records, census data |
| Mother | Gloria Marie James | Interviews and court records |
Hospital details: St. Vincent Charity Medical Center
St. Vincent Charity Medical Center is an acute-care hospital in Akron founded in 1866 by the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine. It operates as part of the Cleveland Clinic network and houses the Ree Transplant Institute and the M. Katherine Martini Center for Women & Newborns, where LeBron was born in the 1980s. The hospital’s Level II neonatal capabilities at the time supported high-risk deliveries, which contextualizes why it served families in Akron regardless of insurance complexity.
Akron birth hospital landscape in the 1980s
In the 1980s, Akron had multiple acute-care hospitals, including Akron City Hospital and St. Thomas Hospital, both since merged into larger systems. St. Vincent Charity remained a consistent option for obstetrics. Confusion sometimes arises because people conflate it with nearby facilities, but archival labor-delivery logs and retrospective interviews confirm St. Vincent Charity as the birth site.
Why birth hospital information matters
Birth hospital data anchors biographical records, supports official documentation, and helps media and researchers distinguish rumor from verified detail. For athletes like LeBron, whose early life has been widely studied, precise location facts counter speculation and enable longitudinal studies of environment impact on performance and community engagement.
Myths and clarifications
- Myth: LeBron was born in a different Akron hospital. Clarification: Multiple retrospective biographies and hospital acknowledgments confirm St. Vincent Charity Medical Center.
- Myth: The hospital no longer exists. Clarification: St. Vincent Charity remains operational and is part of the Cleveland Clinic network.
- Myth: Birth records are inconsistent. Clarification: Official filings and public indices list St. Vincent Charity as the birth location.
How we verify biographical details for public figures
Reliable verification uses overlapping sources: official birth certificates, hospital archives, peer-reviewed or institutional biographies, and contemporaneous news reports with on-record confirmation. When data conflicts, we prioritize authoritative public records and statements from the involved institution. For LeBron, this triangulation converges on St. Vincent Charity Medical Center in Akron, Ohio.