2015 NBA Finals: Two of Akron's Finest Set to Face Off

LeBron James and Stephen Curry share similarities beyond the same hometown.

ByABC News
June 4, 2015, 6:09 PM

— -- The two biggest names in the 2015 NBA finals share more than just a desire to win for their championship-starved cities.

LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors were born in Akron, Ohio, and even at the same hospital.

"No disrespect to LeBron [but] I want to be the first Akron guy to get, to bring a championship to that area -- so that should be fun," Curry told ABC News recently.

Curry, 27, and James, 30, both also married their high school sweethearts. James wed Savannah Brinson in 2013; Curry wed Ayesha Alexander in 2011.

The Currys' daughter, Riley, 2, has turned a few postgame news conferences into must-see TV. The family also appear in a cooking show called "Kitchen Warriors" on ESPN.

James, a two-time NBA champion with the Miami Heat, and league MVP Curry will face off in Game One of the series tonight in Oakland, California, at 9 ET.

Golden State has had a dry spell since 1975 when the team beat the Washington Bullets to win the title. And Cleveland hasn't experienced a major professional sports victory since the 1964 Browns won the championship.

James is hoping for redemption after his infamous departure from his hometown in 2010 when he headed to Miami. The move left Cleveland shocked and some fans were so angered that they burned his jersey.

Curry said that faith and his family kept him grounded.

"No matter if I score 50 or I score 10, they're going to treat me the same way," he told ABC News. "So I can rely on that."

James is making his fifth consecutive NBA finals appearance, while none of the Warriors players have made it this far. If the Warriors win, they'll be the youngest team to win the title in more than 30 years.

"The storylines are incredible," ESPN's Chris Broussard told ABC News. "You couldn't ask for more. ... It's great basketball."

ABC News' Paula Faris contributed to this story.