20 Cities That Produce the Most Superstars
Amber Lee@@BlamberrSports Lists Lead WriterJune 16, 201520 Cities That Produce the Most Superstars

Legends are born when someone does something extraordinary—and the story is told over and over. Few legends, however, survive from one generation to another without a place that make the person and feat relevant. It’s no coincidence that some of our greatest legends were born in an extraordinary moment in time when an athlete, or when a team (or both), forever changed a place—for better or worse.
Championships are won and records are broken in places where thousands have gathered; in stadiums and arenas; or vicariously through television and radio. A star athlete’s hometown is as deeply connected to their identity as the city where their number is retired following a Hall of Fame career, because that’s where the legend was born—where family, friends and a community watched the first chapter get written.
Every city or town is a place where someone turned heads on the blacktop, before dropping jaws in the tournament; people want to know what it looks like when an Olympian comes from “nowhere.” Where is just as important as who, because where something happened endures far longer than who did it. And nothing is more fascinating that learning about how different places have given us some of the best and most compelling men and women in sports.
With that in mind, here are 20 of the cities in North America that produce the most superstar talent in sports.
Hampton Roads, Virginia
- Alonzo Mourning, NBA Hall of Fame
- Allen Iverson, Retired NBA
- David Wright, New York Mets
- Justin Upton, San Diego Padres
- Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals
- Lawrence Taylor, LB, NFL Hall of Fame
- Ace Parker, TB-DB-QB, NFL Hall of Fame
- Bruce Smith, DE, NFL Hall of Fame
- Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach
- Plaxico Burress, WR, NFL Free Agent
- DeAngelo Hall, DB, NFL Free Agent
- Michael Vick, QB, New York Jets
- Percy Harvin, WR, Buffalo Bills
- Gabby Douglas, Olympic Gold Medalist, Gymnastics

The area known as Hampton Roads, Virginia, encompasses a major metropolitan area in the Southeast, which includes various moderately sized cities such as Norfolk, Virginia Beach and Newport News. There are a fair number of athletes that call somewhere within Hampton Roads home.
Athletes from Hampton Roads:
Miami, Florida
- Steve Carlton, MLB Hall of Fame
- Andre Dawson, MLB Hall of Fame
- Steve Spurrier, Former Heisman-Winner/NFL Player/NFL Coach, Current College Coach
- Michael Irvin, WR, NFL Hall of Fame
- Derrick Thomas, LB, NFL Hall of Fame
- Sean Taylor, DB, Died in 2007
- Chad Ochocinco-Johnson, WR, Retired NFL
- Steve Hutchinson, G, Retired NFL
- Asante Samuel, DB, Retired NFL
- Frank Gore, RB, Indianapolis Colts
- Antonio Brown, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
- Elvis Dumervil, LB, Baltimore Ravens
- Jonathan Vilma, LB, Free Agent
- Santana Moss, WR, Free Agent
- Antrel Rolle, DB, Chicago Bears
- Patrick Peterson, CB, Arizona Cardinals
- Andre Johnson, WR, Indianapolis Colts
- Jose Canseco, Retired MLB
- Anthony Rizzo, Chicago Cubs
- Drew Rosenhaus, Sports Agent

Must be something in that crystal clear majestic Miami water, because of how many great athletes, both current and future Hall-of-Famers, hail from the Miami metro area. Just because fans aren’t known to be especially diehard down there, doesn’t mean they aren’t still churning out talent.
Athletes from Miami:
Boston, Massachusetts
- Al Davis, NFL Hall of Fame Owner
- Howie Long, DE-NT, NFL Hall of Fame
- Wayne Millner, E-DE, NFL Hall of Fame
- Ed Healey, T-G-E, NFL Hall of Fame
- Steve Hauschka, K, Seattle Seahawks
- Tom Glavine, MLB Hall of Fame
- Tim Keefe, MLB Hall of Fame
- Candy Cummings, MLB Hall of Fame
- Jeff Bagwell, Retired MLB
- Patrick Ewing, NBA Hall of Fame
- Bill Laimbeer, Retired NBA
- Nancy Kerrigan, Olympic Silver Medalist, Figure Skating
- Micky Ward, Boxer
- Keith Tkachuk, Retired NHL
- Jeremy Roenick, Retired NHL
- Tom Borrasso, Retired NHL
- Kevin Stevens, Retired NHL
- Tony Amonte, Retired NHL
- Alicia Sacramone, Olympic Silver Medalist, Gymnastics
- John Cena, WWE
- Jim Craig, Olympic Gold Medalist, Hockey
- Mike Eruzione, Olympic Gold Medalist, Hockey

Boston isn’t just one of the most historic and pivotal cities in American history, it also has one of the strongest sports traditions in the country. Granted, how hard is it these days to be committed to sports when a team from your city is winning a championship every other year—at worst. That being said, it seems more athletes come to Boston to play than are birthed there.
Athletes from Boston:
Montreal, Canada
- Mario Lemieux, NHL Hall of Fame
- Ray Bourque, NHL Hall of Fame
- Luc Robitaille, NHL Hall of Fame
- Mike Bossy, NHL Hall of Fame
- Guy Lapointe, NHL Hall of Fame
- Maurice Richard, NHL Hall of Fame
- Doug Harvey, NHL Hall of Fame
- Henri Richard, NHL Hall of Fame
- Vincent Damphousse, Retired NHL
- Martin Brodeur, Retired NHL
- Claude Provost, Retired NHL
- Scott Mellanby, Retired NHL
- Roberto Luongo, Florida Panthers
- Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins
- Corey Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks
- Mike Ribeiro, Nashville Predators
- Russell Martin, Toronto Blue Jays

It should come as no surprise that Montreal has produced some of the greatest hockey players in NHL history, both past and present. Their list of Hall of Fame players will only continue to grow as each year passes.
Athletes from Montreal:
Washington D.C. & Baltimore, Maryland
- Pete Sampras, Tennis
- Babe Ruth, MLB Hall of Fame
- Cal Ripken, MLB Hall of Fame
- Jimmie Foxx, MLB Hall of Fame
- Al Kaline, MLB Hall of Fame
- Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees
- Elgin Baylor, NBA Hall of Fame
- Muggsy Bogues, Retired NBA
- Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
- Brian Westbrook, RB, Retired NFL
- Andrew Luck, QB, Indianapolis Colts
- Vernon Davis, TE, San Francisco 49ers
- Ahmad Brooks, LB, San Francisco 49ers
- Joe Haden, CB, Cleveland Browns
- Josh Cirbbs, WR, NFL Free Agent
- Jonathan Ogden, T-G, Retired NFL
- Michael Phelps, Olympic Gold Medalist, Swimming,
- Dominique Dawes, Olympic Gold Medalist, Gymnastics
- Bucky Lasek, Skateboarder

Sure Baltimore and Washington, D.C. are only about 40 miles apart, but anyone who has lived in the metro area of either city knows that the distance between them feels far more substantial. Maybe it’s because if there is even the slightest bit of traffic, it’s no less than a 90-minute commute—and that on a good day. Nonetheless, geographically they’re close enough to combine.
Athletes from Baltimore & Washington
New Orleans, Louisiana
- Mel Ott, MLB Hall of Fame
- Will Clark, Retired MLB
- Clyde Drexler, NBA Hall of Fame
- Marshall Faulk, RB, NFL Hall of Fame
- Aeneas Williams, DB, NFL Hall of Fame
- Ed Reed, DB, Retired NFL
- Ike Taylor, DB, Retired NFL
- Alan Faneca, G-T, Retired NFL
- Reggie Wayne, WR, Retired NFL
- Patrick Surtain, DB, Retired NFL
- Matt Forte, RB, Chicago Bears
- Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants
- Peyton Manning, QB, Denver Broncos
- Eddie Lacy, RB, Green Bay Packers
- Mike Wallace, WR, Minnesota Vikings

Who knows how they breed them down in the Bayou, but New Orleans has definitely produced some very impressive sports talent to date. Although most aren’t in their respective Hall of Fames yet, many will be first ballot options when the time comes.
Athletes from New Orleans:
Mobile, Alabama
- Willie Mayes, MLB Hall of Fame
- Hank Aaron, MLB Hall of Fame
- Satchel Paige, MLB Hall of Fame
- Ozzie Smith, MLB Hall of Fame
- Willie McCovey, MLB Hall of Fame
- Jake Peavy, San Francisco Giants
- Evander Holyfield, Boxer
- DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings
- JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU (Obviously his NFL career does not count)

With a population today easily under 200,000, Mobile has produced a very impressive handful of superstar athletes over the years. And just 60 miles away is Pensacola, Florida, which calls greats like Emmitt Smith and Derrick Brooks its own. That being said, when it comes to this tiny city in Southwest Alabama, it’s more about quality than quantity.
Athletes from Mobile:
Dallas & Ft. Worth, Texas
- Ernie Banks, MLB Hall of Fame
- Joe Morgan, MLB Hall of Fame
- Jeff Newman, Retired MLB
- Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Hunter Pence, San Francisco Giants
- Jimmy Johnson, DB-HB, NFL Hall of Fame
- Tim Brown, WR, NFL Hall of Fame
- Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings
- Grant Hill, Retired NBA
- Spud Webb, Retired NBA
- Alton Lister, Retired NBA
- Chris Bosh, Miami Heat
- LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trail Blazers
- Lee Trevino, PGA
- Jordan Spieth, PGA
- Michael Johnson, Olympic Gold Medalist, Track and Field
- Gina Carano, Retired MMA
- Paul Wylie, Olympic Silver Medalist, Figure Skating

The Cowboys might be the biggest show in town down in Dallas, but the city itself isn’t necessarily known for producing exclusively top-notch football talent. They seem to spread the wealth in Big D, with superstars from a number of sports calling the city home.
Athletes from Dallas:
Houston, Texas
- Jimmy Johnson, Former NFL Coach
- Eric Dickerson, RB, NFL Hall of Fame
- Mike Singletary, LB, NFL Hall of Fame
- Michael Strahan, DE, NFL Hall of Fame
- Darrell Green, DB, NFL Hall of Fame
- Jamaal Charles, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
- Dez Bryant, WR, Dallas Cowboys
- Andy Dalton, QB, Cincinnati Bengals
- Vince Young, QB, Retired NFL
- Frank Robinson, MLB Hall of Fame
- Adam Dunn, Retired MLB
- Curt Flood, Retired MLB
- Anthony Rendon, Washington Nationals
- DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers
- Kendrick Perkins, Cleveland Cavaliers
- Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury
- Kim Zmeskal, Olympic Bronze Medalist, Gymnastics

You never know what you’re going to get in Houston, in terms of high profile athletes now and then. Although there are more NFL players who hail from Houston than Dallas, there are people from all over the sports world reppin’ Texas’ biggest city.
Athletes from Houston:
Akron & Cleveland, Ohio

Hopefully this doesn’t ruffle any feathers, because Akron and Cleveland obviously aren’t the same place, but they’re less than 40 miles away. But a half hour drive, speeding with no traffic, down I-77 and you’re there. So for the purposes of this list, they’re close enough to be considered the same metro area in Northeast Ohio.
And with a combined population of approximately 600,000, Clevekron (Akland?) has produced a very impressive number of sports stars over the years.
Stephen Curry & LeBron James, NBA Players
- Mike Schmidt, MLB Hall of Fame
- Ed Delahanty, MLB Hall of Fame
- George Sisler, MLB Hall of Fame
- Larry Csonka, RB, NFL Hall of Fame
- Jack Lambert, LB, NFL Hall of Fame
- Don Shula, NFL Hall of Fame Coach
- Chuck Noll, NLF Hall of Fame Coach
- Cris Collinsworth, WR, Retired NFL
- Mike Vrabel, LB, Retired NFL
- London Fletcher, LB, Retired NFL
- Desmond Howard, WR, Retired NFL
- Bob Golic, NT-DT-LB-DE, Retired NFL
- Mike Golic, DT-NT-DE, Retired NFL
- James Harrison, LB, Pittsburgh Steelers
- Aqib Talib, DB, Denver Broncos
- Jason Kelce, OL, Philadelphia Eagles
- Nate Thurmond, NBA Hall of Fame
- Mike “The Miz” Mizanin, WWE
- Dolph Ziggler, WWE
- Chad Muska, Skateboarder

It’s hard to believe, but the MVP superstars of both of the 2015 NBA Finals teams are both from Akron, Ohio—LeBron James of the Cavaliers and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors. No matter who wins this series, they’ll have a combined three championships between them and, with no doubt, more to come. These two future Hall-of-Famers are the pride of the Buckeye State—even if they didn’t go to Ohio State.
Additional athletes from Akron/Cleveland :
San Diego, California

The first of three California metro areas on this list, well over a dozen sports greats have hailed from San Diego, both past and present. Considering that laid back SoCal vibe the city is known for, some of the list will come as no surprise whatsoever.
Phil Mickelson, PGA
- Ted Williams, MLB Hall of Fame
- Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals
- Adrian Gonzalez, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies
- Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles
- Bob Boone, Retired MLB
- Bill Walton, NBA Hall of Fame
- Greg Louganis, Olympic Gold Medalist, Diving
- Billy Casper, PGA
- Gene Littler, PGA
- Mickey Wright, LPGA
- Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR
- Junior Seau, NFL Hall of Fame
- Marcus Allen, NFL Hall of Fame
- Tony Romo, QB, Dallas Cowboys
- Reggie Bush, RB, San Francisco 49ers
- Arian Foster, RB, Houston Texans
- Ricky Williams, RB, Retired NFL
- Terrell Davis, RB, Retired NFL
- Monique Henderson, Olympic Gold Medalist, Track and Field
- Shaun White, Olympic Gold Medalist, Showboarding

He may have been, at times, overshadowed by Tiger Woods, but American golf great Phil Mickelson has done pretty well for himself over his illustrious career. With 42 PGA wins, which includes five majors, not only is Mick one of the most accomplished golfers in the sport’s history, he’s also right along Woods among the world’s highest paid athletes most years.
Additional athletes from San Diego:
Chicago, Illinois

Chicago is the third largest city in the United States and growing, which means that basic odds indicate a fair number of sports stars, past and present, call the Windy City home. Maybe it’s all that sausage or deep-dish pizza, but Chicago definitely has produced an awful lot of big names in the sports world—particularly football and basketball stars.
Dwyane Wade, NBA Player
- Kirby Puckett, MLB Hall of Fame
- Rickey Henderson, MLB Hall of Fame
- Hank O’Day, MLB Hall of Fame
- Lou Boudreau, MLB Hall of Fame
- Curtis Granderson, New York Mets
- Mike Krzyzewski, Duke University/Team USA, College Basketball/NBA Hall of Fame Coach
- Knute Rockne, Former Notre Dame Football Coach/College Football Hall of Fame
- Isiah Thomas, NBA Hall of Fame
- Dan Issel, NBA Hall of Fame
- George Mikan, NBA Hall of Fame
- Tim Hardaway, Retired NBA
- Mark Aguirre, Retired NBA
- Maurice Cheeks, Retired NBA
- Doc Rivers, Former NBA Player/Coach Los Angeles Clippers
- Johnny “Red” Kerr, Former NBA Player, Coach, Commentator
- Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
- Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
- Iman Shumpert, Cleveland Cavaliers
- Evan Turner, Boston Celtics

Although his career is clearly on the decline, with the aging Dwyane Wade demanding just a smidgen more than he’s worth from the Heat this summer, the three-time NBA champion is undoubtedly one of the greatest players of the last decade. Having been named an All-Star every season since 2005, Wade is still as popular among fans as ever and is a sure-fire Hall-of-Famer.
Additional athletes from Chicago:
Chris Chelios, NHL Hall of Fame
- Dick Butkus, LB, NFL Hall of Fame
- Ray Nitschke, LB, NFL Hall of Fame
- Otto Graham, QB, NFL Hall of Fame
- Marv Levy, Former Coach/Executive, NFL Hall of Fame
- Shannon Sharpe, TE, NFL Hall of Fame
- Sterling Sharpe, WR, Retired NFL
- Flozell Adams, T-G-TE, Retired NFL
- Donovan McNabb, QB, Retired NFL
- Michael Turner, RB, Retired NFL
- Ed Olczyk, Retired NHL Player/Coach, Current Analyst
- CM Punk, Former WWE, Current UFC
- Dorothy Hamill, Olympic Gold Medalist, Figure Skating
- Evan Lysacek, Olympic Gold Medalist, Figure Skating
- Marcela Balboa, USMNT/National Soccer Hall of Fame
- Stuart Scott, Late ESPN Anchor

Having retired following the 2009-10 season, Hall of Fame defenseman Chris Chelios is tied with the legendary Gordie Howe for the most seasons ever played at 26. He played the second half of his career predominantly with the Detroit Red Wings, where he currently serves as an executive advisor to the team’s general manager.
Additional athletes from Chicago:
San Francisco & Oakland, California

Hopefully this one isn’t too controversial, since San Francisco and Oakland are often lumped into a geographical area known as the Bay Area. Although San Francisco boasts approximately double the population of its across the Bay Bridge neighbors, combined with Oakland, over 1.2 million people call the immediate metro area home—that’s in addition to the surrounding suburbs.
Considering the immense population advantage the Los Angeles metro area has over the Bay Area, San Francisco and Oakland aren’t lagging far behind in the overall sports talent.
Joe DiMaggio, MLB Hall of Fame
- Randy Johnson, MLB Hall of Fame
- Tony Lazzeri, MLB Hall of Fame
- Joe Cronin, MLB Hall of Fame
- Harry Heilmann, MLB Hall of Fame
- George “High Pockets” Kelly, MLB Hall of Fame
- Frankie Crosetti, Retired MLB
- Tug McGraw, Retired MLB
- Keith Hernandez, Retired MLB
- Barry Bonds, Retired MLB
- Jimmy Rollins, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox
- Brooks Orpik, Washington Capitals
- Jeff Gordon, NASCAR
- Laird Hamilton, Surfer
- Mark Spitz, Olympic Gold Medalist, Swimming
- Brandi Chastain, Olympic Gold Medalist, Soccer

One of the greatest baseball players of all time, Joe DiMaggio played his entire prolific Hall of Fame career in pinstripes. Known as “The Yankee Clipper,” DiMaggio’s name may be synonymous with the New York Yankees, but he was born, raised, and spent most of his offseasons across the country in California.According to Don Russo, an old friend, DiMaggio “never thought of himself as anything but pure San Francisco.”
Additional athletes from the Bay Area:
Tom Brady, NFL Player
- Gary Payton, NBA Hall of Fame
- Don Barksdale, NBA Hall of Fame
- Jim Pollard, NBA Hall of Fame
- Jason Kidd, Retired NBA/Current Coach Milwaukee Bucks
- Paul Pierce, Washington Wizards
- Ray Allen, Retired NBA
- Bruce Bowen, Retired NBA
- Dan Fouts, QB, NFL Hall of Fame
- O.J. Simpson, RB, NFL Hall of Fame
- Jack Del Rio, NFL Coach
- Mike Holmgren, Former NFL Coach
- Jim Plunkett, QB, Retired NFL
- Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Retired NFL
- Tedy Bruschi, LB, Retired NFL
- Marshawn Lynch, RB, Seattle Seahawks
- Pat Tillman, DB, Former NFL
- Kristi Yamaguchi, Olympic Gold Medalist, Figure Skating
- Peggy Fleming, Olympic Gold Medalist, Figure Skating

Despite being drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft, four-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Tom Brady is anything but the underdog his draft status coming out of Michigan may lead you to believe. Brady is right there with Joe Montana, and may have even surpassed him, in terms of the greatest NFL QBs of all time.
Additional athletes from the Bay Area:
New York City, New York

New York City is easily the most heavily populated city in the country, and it’s not even close—it bests Los Angeles by four million easy. It should come as no surprise that the Big Apple is a goldmine of sports talent. Although this list only takes into account those who were born in NYC, just imagine how much longer it would be if it included all the Hall of Fame superstars who played there over the last century or so.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, NBA Hall of Fame
- Michael Jordan, NBA Hall of Fame
- Julius Erving, NBA Hall of Fame
- Chris Mullin, NBA Hall of Fame
- Lenny Wilkens, NBA Hall of Fame
- Tiny Archibald, NBA Hall of Fame
- Bernard King, NBA Hall of Fame
- Larry Brown, NBA Hall of Fame
- Connie Hawkins, NBA Hall of Fame
- Richie Guerin, NBA Hall of Fame
- Red Holzman, NBA Hall of Fame Coach
- Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks
- Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls
- Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets
- Stephon Marbury, Retired NBA
- John McEnroe, Tennis
- Jennifer Capriati, Tennis
- Al Oerter, Olympic Gold Medalist, Discus

NBA Hall of Fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played the bulk of his career in Los Angeles, where he won five of the six championships of his career with the Lakers. And although he played college basketball at UCLA, Kareem was actually born and raised across the country in New York City.
Additional athletes from New York City:
Coach Vince Lombardi, NFL Hall of Fame
- Lou Gehrig, MLB Hall of Fame
- Carl Yastrzemski, MLB Hall of Fame
- Sandy Koufax, MLB Hall of Fame
- Jim Palmer, MLB Hall of Fame
- Craig Biggio, MLB Hall of Fame,
- Hank Greenberg, MLB Hall of Fame
- Whitey Ford, MLB Hall of Fame
- Joe Torre, MLB Hall of Fame Manager
- Vin Scully, MLB Hall of Fame Broadcaster
- Edgar Martinez, Retired MLB
- Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
- Mike Tyson, Boxer
- Rocky Graziano, Boxer
- Jake LaMotta, Boxer,
- Vinny Testaverde, QB, Retired
- D’Brickashaw Ferguson, T, New York Jets
- Joe Mullen, NHL Hall of Fame
- Kevin Shattenkirk, St. Louis Blues

The legendary Vince Lombardi became the legend we know him as today while coaching the Packers in the 60s. He won five of his six championships in Green Bay; Lombardi’s decade was so dominant that the NFL’s Super Bowl trophy bears his name, and has since his sudden death from cancer in 1970.
Additional athletes from New York City:
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Considering the 2012 U.S. Census revealed Pittsburgh to be No. 61 nationally in terms of population, with cities like Omaha, Milwaukee, and Wichita all ranked above the Steel City, the number of sports superstars the Southwestern Pennsylvania region has produced is proportionally staggering to that of the other cities topping this list.
Joe Namath, NFL Hall of Fame
- Jim Kelly, QB, NFL Hall of Fame
- Jack Ham, LB, NFL Hall of Fame
- George Blanda, QB, NFL Hall of Fame
- Johnny Unitas, QB, NFL Fall of Fame
- Mike Ditka, TE, NFL Hall of Fame
- Tony Dorsett, RB, NFL Hall of Fame
- Russ Grimm, G-C, NFL Hall of Fame
- Curtis Martin, RB, NFL Hall of Fame
- Randy White, DT-LB-DE, NFL Hall of Fame
- Ty Law, DB, NFL Hall of Fame Semi-Finalist 2015
- Bill Cowher, Former NFL Coach
- Marvin Lewis, NFL Coach
- Mike McCarthy, Former NFL Coach
- Jim Haslett, NFL Coach
- Dave Wannstedt, Former NFL Coach
- Brandon Marshall, WR, New York Jets
- Jason Taylor, DE, Retired NFL
- LaVar Arrington, LB, Retired NFL
- Darrelle Revis, CB, New York Jets
- Pat McAfee, K, Indianapolis Colts
- Marc Bulger, QB, Retired NFL
- Terrelle Pryor, QB, Free Agent
- Matt Schaub, QB, Baltimore Ravens

NFL Hall of Fame quarterback "Broadway Joe" Namath played his college ball at Alabama and today remains the only QB to lead the Jets to a Super Bowl. But before he was the coolest guy in any room, Namath was just "Joe Willie" of Beaver Falls, an area just 30 miles north of Pittsburgh.
Additional athletes from Pittsburgh:
Joe Montana & Dan Marino, NFL Hall of Fame
- Arnold Palmer, PGA
- Jim Furyk, PGA
- Pete Maravich, NBA Hall of Fame
- Honus Wagner, MLB Hall of Fame
- Stan Musial, MLB Hall of Fame
- Dennis Eckersley, MLB Hall of Fame
- Ken Griffey Jr., Retired MLB
- Ken Griffey, Retired MLB
- Terry Francona, Manager Cleveland Indians
- Jim Leyland, Former MLB Manager
- Chuck Daly, NBA Hall of Fame Coach
- Mark Cuban, Dallas Mavericks Owner
- Michael Moorer, Boxer
- Paul Spadafora, Boxer

Dan Marino and Joe Montana are two of the greatest quarterbacks of all time—although Montana accounts for all four Super Bowls the two combined for over the course of their respective careers—both of whom were churned out of the longtime QB factory known as Southwestern Pennsylvania.
Marino is from Pittsburgh proper and played college ball locally at Pitt, while Montana hails from a town about 30 miles south of the Steel City and went to Notre Dame. Obviously both are enshrined at the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
Additional athletes from Pittsburgh:
Los Angeles, California

Keep in mind that Los Angeles isn’t the condensed and easily defined urban area as, for instance, New York is. California is massive, and the SoCal is sprawling and expansive. While in other states places like Santa Monica, Long Beach, Anaheim and Newport Beach may be considered cities in and among themselves, for the purpose of this list, they are considered part of L.A.
Breaking them down into their own cities wouldn’t properly represent the sports talent coming out of the area, but failing to explain that wouldn’t convey the fact that we understand these are, in fact, not a part of Los Angeles proper.
Tony Gwynn, MLB Hall of Fame
- Don Drysdale, MLB Hall of Fame
- Eddie Murray, MLB Hall of Fame
- Duke Snider, MLB Hall of Fame
- Gary Carter, MLB Hall of Fame
- Barry Bonds, Retired MLB
- Darryl Strawberry, Retired MLB
- Eric Chavez, Retired MLB
- David Wells, Retired MLB
- Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins
- Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies
- Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays
- Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers
- Freddie Freeman, Atlanta Braves
- Prince Fielder Jr., Texas Rangers
- Cecil Fielder, Retired MLB
- Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies
- Tony Hawk, Skateboarder
- Allyson Felix, Olympic Gold Medalist, Track and Field
- McKayla Maroney, Olympic Gold Medalist, Gymnastics
- Ronda Rousey, Olympic Bronze Medalist, Judo/UFC Bantamweight Champion
- Florence Griffith Joyner, Olympic Gold Medalist, Track and Field
- Oscar de la Hoya, Boxer
- Billie Jean King, Tennis
- Jimmy Connors, Tennis
- Alex Morgan, Olympic Gold Medalist, Soccer

Tony Gwynn was just 54 when he passed away in 2014 after a four-year battle with cancer and just seven years after his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. When “Mr. Padre” retired in 2001, the right-fielder left the game as one of the game’s greatest hitters and quintessential ball-players. Gwynn was a 15-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove winner; posting a batting average of .300 or better for 19 consecutive seasons.
Additional athletes from Los Angeles:
Reggie Miller, NBA Hall of Fame
- Gail Goodrich, NBA Hall of Fame
- Dennis Johnson, NBA Hall of Fame
- Jamaal Wilkes, NBA Hall of Fame
- Michael Cooper, Retired NBA
- Baron Davis, Retired NBA
- Mark Eaton, Retired NBA
- Paul George, Indiana Pacers
- James Harden, Houston Rockets
- Tyson Chandler, Dallas Mavericks
- Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
- Kevin Love, Cleveland Cavaliers
- Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
- Nick Young, Los Angeles Lakers
- Troy Aikman, QB, NFL Hall of Fame
- Larry Allen, OL, NFL Hall of Fame
- Gary Zimmerman, OL, NFL Hall of Fame
- Frank Gifford, NFL Hall of Fame
- Tony Gonzalez, TE, Retired NFL
- Troy Polamalu, SS, Retired NFL
- Clay Matthews, LB, Green Bay Packers
- Richard Sherman, DB, Seattle Seahawks
- Dara Torres, Olympic Gold Medalist, Swimming
- Misty May-Treanor, Olympic Gold Medalist, Beach Volleyball
- Kerri Walsh Jennings, Olympic Gold Medalist, Beach Volleyball
- Gabrielle Reece, Olympic Gold Medalist, Beach Volleyball
- Tiger Woods, PGA

Any basketball fan with a pulse knows why Reggie Miller’s induction into the NBA Hall of Fame was the source of handwringing among some in the media and among many on message boards. The former UCLA Bruin and Indiana Pacer was simply one of the most hated shooting guards (if not the most hated) during the 90s—the trash-talking Miller relished his role as the annual foil for the New York Knicks and their tortured fans.
Additional athletes from Los Angeles: