Sports · born 1973Chris Webberbasketball player, broadcasterDetroit-born Hall of Fame forward, the most recruited Michigan high schooler since Magic Johnson, who led the University of Michigan's "Fab Five" and later played for the Pistons.DETROIT / A living lexicon / ¼
Famous Detroiters
People who were born here, moved here or built their careers in Detroit: musicians, carmakers, athletes, writers, inventors, civil-rights leaders and a few notorious names. With their dates, their Detroit story and the places where they lived, worked and played, closed ones included.
- 1,912 famous people
- 135 Detroit places
- 21 fields
Hungarian ties 22 Detroiters with Hungarian ties →
Field
Connection
Born in
A–Z (family name)
43 people
Clear filtersSports · born 1973Chris Webberbasketball player, broadcasterDetroit-born Hall of Fame forward, the most recruited Michigan high schooler since Magic Johnson, who led the University of Michigan's "Fab Five" and later played for the Pistons.
Sports · born 1952George Gervinbasketball shooting guardHall of Fame scorer nicknamed "the Iceman", born and raised in Detroit, who became one of the greatest shooting guards in ABA and NBA history after starring at Eastern Michigan.
Sports · born 1970Alexi Lalassoccer player and executive, broadcasterMetro Detroit-born soccer star of the 1994 World Cup and MLS era, raised in Birmingham and schooled at Cranbrook, now a leading American soccer broadcaster.
Sports · born 1978Shane Battierbasketball player, broadcaster, businessmanMetro Detroit-born forward who starred at Detroit Country Day School before a Duke and NBA career that included two championships with the Miami Heat.
Sports · 1941–2015Henry CarrsprinterTwo-time Olympic gold medalist sprinter who grew up in Detroit and set state records at Northwestern High School before starring at Arizona State.
Sports · 1940–2003Dave DeBusscherebasketball player and coach, baseball playerDetroit-born Hall of Famer who starred for the Pistons, became the youngest head coach in NBA history at 24, and later won two championships with the New York Knicks.
Sports · born 1948Rudy Tomjanovichbasketball player and coachHamtramck-born rebounding star at the University of Michigan who went on to win NBA championships as a Houston Rockets player and head coach.
Sports · born 1950Sheila Youngspeed skater and track cyclistDetroit-area speed skater and cyclist who became the first American athlete to win three medals at a single Winter Olympics, in Innsbruck in 1976.
Sports · born 1993Connor Hellebuyckice hockey goaltenderMetro Detroit-born goaltender who grew up in Commerce Township and went on to win the NHL's Hart Trophy as MVP and lead the United States to Olympic gold in 2026.
Sports · born 1962Kevin Willisbasketball forward and centerLong-serving NBA big man who came up through Detroit's Pershing High School before a 21-season career that made him one of the oldest players ever to play in the league.
Sports · born 1949Spencer Haywoodbasketball playerMississippi-born Hall of Famer who moved to Detroit as a teenager, led one of the great teams in Michigan high school history, and starred at the University of Detroit before a groundbreaking pro career.
Sports · born 1983Brandi Rhodesprofessional wrestler, ring announcer, executiveDetroit-suburb-born wrestling personality who rose through WWE and became a founding executive and performer at All Elite Wrestling.
Sports · born 1964Otmar Szafnauerengineer, Formula One team principalRomanian-born, Detroit-raised engineer who went from Ford program manager to running Force India, Racing Point, Aston Martin and Alpine in Formula One.
Sports · born 1989Evan Batesice dancerOlympic champion ice dancer born and raised in Ann Arbor, who trained for years in suburban Canton and won national silver in Detroit in 2019 with Madison Chock.
Sports · born 1996Kyle Connorice hockey forwardMetro Detroit-born NHL forward for the Winnipeg Jets who learned the game in the Belle Tire youth hockey program before starring at the University of Michigan.
Sports · born 1981Willie Greenbasketball player and coachDetroit-born guard who starred at Cooley High School and the University of Detroit Mercy before a 12-year NBA career, later becoming an NBA head coach.
Sports · born 1996Dylan Larkinice hockey centerMetro Detroit-born center who grew up playing for Detroit Belle Tire, starred at the University of Michigan and became captain of his hometown Red Wings.
Sports · born 1994Jacob Troubaice hockey defensemanOakland County-born NHL defenseman who played youth hockey for the Detroit-area Compuware club and one standout season at the University of Michigan.
Sports · born 1976Kate Markgrafsoccer player and executiveBloomfield Hills-born defender who starred at Detroit Country Day School before a decorated international career that included three Olympic medals and a World Cup title.
Sports · 1937–2017George Steeleprofessional wrestler, teacher, actorDetroit-born wrestler and Madison Heights schoolteacher whose 'George the Animal Steele' character, born out of the local Detroit wrestling scene, became a national WWE star.
Sports · born 1988Jordan Crawfordbasketball playerDetroit-born guard who attended a Detroit public high school before a college and NBA career that took him to Washington, Boston and several other franchises.
Sports · born 1990Lawrence Warbasseroad racing cyclistDearborn-born professional road cyclist and University of Michigan graduate who won the 2017 U.S. national road race title.
Sports · born 1982Jeremiah Masseybasketball playerDetroit-born power forward who attended Mackenzie High School before a college and professional career that took him through Kansas State and more than a decade of European and international basketball.
Sports · born 1991Ray McCallum Jr.basketball playerDetroit-born guard who won a state title at Detroit Country Day School and played college basketball for his father at the University of Detroit Mercy.
Sports · born 1987Chris Douglas-Robertsbasketball playerDetroit-raised guard who starred at Cass Technical High School before leading the University of Memphis to the 2008 national championship game.
Sports · born 1997Kyle MacksnowboarderRoyal Oak-born snowboarder from West Bloomfield who won Olympic silver in Big Air at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, an unusual winter-sports success story out of flat, suburban Detroit.
Sports · 1938–2020Wilbert McClureboxer and psychologist1960 Olympic boxing gold medalist, teammate of Cassius Clay, who later earned his doctorate in psychology at Wayne State University in Detroit.
Sports · 1932–2009Arthur Frank McKinlayrowerDetroit-born Olympic silver medalist rower, a 1950 graduate of Cooley High School with his twin brother, who won his medal in the coxless fours at the 1956 Games.
Sports · 1957–2024Earl Curetonbasketball forward and centerDetroit native who played for the University of Detroit and his hometown Pistons and won NBA titles with Philadelphia and Houston.
Sports · 1956–2014Bob Welchbaseball pitcherDetroit-born, Hazel Park-raised pitcher who won the 1990 Cy Young Award with 27 wins and wrote a frank memoir about his recovery from alcoholism.
MusicKaren NewmansingerSinger known as “the voice” of the Detroit Red Wings for more than 30 years of national anthems, and for the local holiday favorite “Christmas Eve on Woodward Avenue.”The lexicon keeps growing. Every entry lists its sources at the bottom. Dates were checked against Wikidata and Wikipedia. The texts are our own. Famous people's places among the sights ↗