Devean Jamar George (born August 29, 1977) is an American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player who played 11 seasons in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...

(NBA), mostly as a backup small forward. He won three NBA championships during his time with the

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

. Since completing his basketball career George has become a real estate developer in his home state of Minnesota.

Early life and college

He attended high school at Benilde-St. Margaret's School in

St. Louis Park, Minnesota St. Louis Park is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 50,010 at the 2020 census. It is a first-ring suburb immediately west of Minneapolis. Other adjacent cities include Edina, Golden Valley, Minnetonka, Pl ...

, where he played basketball. During his college career at

Augsburg College Augsburg University is a private university in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. It was founded in 1869 as a Norwegian-American Lutheran seminary known as Augsburg Seminarium. Today, the ...

, George was named

Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) is a college athletic conference which competes in NCAA Division III. All 13 of the member schools are located in Minnesota and are private institutions, with only two being non-sectarian ...

Most Valuable Player two consecutive years (1997–98 and 1998–99), and set school records as a senior by scoring 770 points and averaging 27.5 ppg in leading Augsburg to 24–4 record and the NCAA Division III tournament for the second year in a row. George grew up in Near North, Minneapolis.

Professional career

Los Angeles Lakers (1999–2006)

George was taken by the

with the 23rd overall pick of the 1999 NBA Draft, and showed considerable promise, especially by his third season where his hustle, outside shooting, and defense made him a key substitute and he appeared in every single game. George was a contributor to the Los Angeles Lakers three straight championship seasons, playing a solid role as a reserve behind

Rick Fox Rick may refer to: People *Rick (given name), a list of people with the given name *Alan Rick (born 1976), Brazilian politician, journalist, pastor and television personality *Johannes Rick (1869–1946), Austrian-born Brazilian priest and mycol ...

. The Lakers gave him a contract extension in 2002 as a result and over the years, his effort, defensive activity, three-point shooting, and willingness to do what the Lakers required of him endeared him to many Laker fans.

Dallas Mavericks (2006–2009)

George signed a two-year $4.2 million contract with the

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Southwest Division. Th ...

as a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is ...

in August 2006 and as the season continued he gained coach

Avery Johnson Avery DeWitt Johnson (born March 25, 1965) is an American basketball television commentator and former player and coach who most recently served as head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball team. He is currently an NBA and college ...

's trust and became more integral to the Mavericks' gameplan. After the end of the

2006–07 NBA season The 2006–07 NBA season was the 61st season of the National Basketball Association. The San Antonio Spurs were crowned the champions after sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. Notable occurrences *The first NBA draft under the ne ...

, George became an unrestricted free agent. The Mavericks gave him and his agent a chance to opt in or opt out of a possible second season with the Mavericks at $2.16 m. As of June 30, George decided to opt out of a second season with the Mavericks but eventually, with no other choices, re-signed on July 9 to a $2.5 million deal. In February 2008, George received a lot of publicity when he refused to be included as part of a larger trade which would have sent

Jason Kidd Jason Frederick Kidd (born March 23, 1973) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Regarded as one of the greatest point guards ...

to the Mavericks and George to the

New Jersey Nets New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

. The trade was ultimately completed without George being part of it. On March 11, 2009, George injured his right knee in a game against the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western C ...

. On March 27, George had

arthroscopic surgery Arthroscopy (also called arthroscopic or keyhole surgery) is a minimally invasive surgical procedure on a joint in which an examination and sometimes treatment of damage is performed using an arthroscope, an endoscope that is inserted into the j ...

to remove loose fragments of cartilage from the injured knee. George had the option to become a free agent at the end of the season, but chose to exercise his player option to remain with the team.

Golden State Warriors (2009–2010)

On July 8, 2009, George was a part of a three-team trade that sent him and Antoine Wright to the

Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. They play their home games a ...

Shawn Marion Shawn Dwayne Marion (born May 7, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player who played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Marion finished his career as a four-time NBA All-Star, a two-time member of the All- ...

and

Kris Humphries Kristopher Nathan Humphries (born February 6, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played in the NBA for the Utah Jazz, Toronto Raptors, Dallas Mavericks, New Je ...

to the Mavericks and

Jerry Stackhouse Jerry Darnell Stackhouse (born November 5, 1974) is an American basketball coach and former professional player who is the head coach of the Vanderbilt Commodores men's team. He played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and ...

to the

Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...

. George was later traded to the

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...

along with cash considerations on July 30, 2009 for

Marco Belinelli Marco Stefano Belinelli (; born 25 March 1986) is an Italian professional basketball player and the team captain for Virtus Bologna of the Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) and the EuroLeague. He was selected 18th overall in the 2007 NBA draft by the G ...

. George tried out for his hometown

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...

in December 2011 after the NBA lockout of that year ended. He did not make their final roster.

After basketball

In 2012, George announced a proposal for an affordable apartment project in

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with list of lakes in Minneapolis, thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. ...

. George has developed two affordable housing projects in North Minneapolis, where he grew up. In 2022 he proposed a modular housing manufacturing facility in the North Loop of Minneapolis. On September 7, 2014, Devean and three former Augsburg teammates captured the Gus Macker 3-on-3 "Next Step Down" bracket, championship in

St. Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center o ...

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;", † , align="left" , L.A. Lakers , 49 , , 1 , , 7.0 , , .389 , , .340 , , .659 , , 1.5 , , .2 , , .2 , , .1 , , 3.2 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;", † , align="left" , L.A. Lakers , 59 , , 1 , , 10.1 , , .309 , , .221 , , .709 , , 1.9 , , .3 , , .2 , , .2 , , 3.1 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;", † , align="left" , L.A. Lakers , 82 , , 1 , , 21.5 , , .411 , , .371 , , .675 , , 3.7 , , 1.4 , , .9 , , .5 , , 7.1 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , L.A. Lakers , 71 , , 7 , , 22.7 , , .390 , , .371 , , .790 , , 4.0 , , 1.3 , , .8 , , .5 , , 6.9 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , L.A. Lakers , 82 , , 48 , , 23.8 , , .408 , , .349 , , .760 , , 4.0 , , 1.4 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , 7.4 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , L.A. Lakers , 15 , , 3 , , 20.4 , , .356 , , .362 , , .750 , , 3.5 , , .9 , , .5 , , .1 , , 7.3 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , L.A. Lakers , 71 , , 5 , , 21.7 , , .400 , , .313 , , .674 , , 3.9 , , 1.0 , , .9 , , .5 , , 6.3 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Dallas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County wi ...

, 60 , , 17 , , 21.4 , , .395 , , .353 , , .750 , , 3.6 , , .6 , , .8 , , .4 , , 6.4 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 53 , , 4 , , 15.5 , , .357 , , .324 , , .706 , , 2.6 , , .7 , , .4 , , .2 , , 3.7 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 43 , , 17 , , 16.5 , , .380 , , .289 , , .773 , , 1.8 , , .3 , , .5 , , .3 , , 3.4 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Golden State , 45 , , 4 , , 16.9 , , .432 , , .390 , , .696 , , 2.5 , , .7 , , .9 , , .2 , , 5.4 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 630 , , 108 , , 18.5 , , .392 , , .343 , , .721 , , 3.1 , , .9 , , .7 , , .4 , , 5.6

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...

† , align="left" , L.A. Lakers , 9 , , 0 , , 5.0 , , .368 , , .200 , , .545 , , 1.1 , , .2 , , .1 , , .0 , , 2.4 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",

2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a multi-national coalition in an invasion of Afghanist ...

† , align="left" , L.A. Lakers , 7 , , 0 , , 3.9 , , .500 , , .500 , , .500 , , .7 , , .1 , , .0 , , .0 , , 2.0 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",

2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...

† , align="left" , L.A. Lakers , 19 , , 0 , , 17.2 , , .365 , , .229 , , .733 , , 3.6 , , .6 , , .6 , , .5 , , 5.0 , - , align="left" ,

2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, disintegrated during reentry into Atmosphere of Earth, Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an 2002– ...

, align="left" , L.A. Lakers , 11 , , 7 , , 28.9 , , .449 , , .333 , , .889 , , 4.5 , , 2.2 , , 1.0 , , .4 , , 8.0 , - , align="left" ,

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

, align="left" , L.A. Lakers , 22 , , 19 , , 21.4 , , .430 , , .373 , , .650 , , 2.3 , , .5 , , .9 , , .4 , , 5.5 , - , align="left" ,

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro votes to declare independence from Serbia; The 2006 FIFA ...

, align="left" , L.A. Lakers , 7 , , 0 , , 17.3 , , .382 , , .429 , , .400 , , 2.3 , , .6 , , .6 , , .1 , , 5.3 , - , align="left" ,

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto ...

, align="left" ,

, 6 , , 1 , , 18.2 , , .200 , , .250 , , .800 , , 3.0 , , .7 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , 3.5 , - , align="left" ,

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

, align="left" ,

, 5 , , 0 , , 12.4 , , .393 , , .333 , , .600 , , 3.0 , , .0 , , .4 , , .4 , , 5.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 86 , , 27 , , 17.2 , , .395 , , .326 , , .675 , , 2.7 , , .7 , , .6 , , .3 , , 5.0

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:George, Devean 1977 births Living people African-American basketball players American men's basketball players Augsburg Auggies men's basketball players Basketball players from Minneapolis Dallas Mavericks players Golden State Warriors players Los Angeles Lakers draft picks Los Angeles Lakers players Shooting guards Small forwards 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American sportspeople