Augsburg University Athletics

Devean George made history in 1999, when he became the first NCAA Division III player to ever be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft, when the Los Angeles Lakers made him the 23rd overall selection as the first selection by legendary coach Phil Jackson. As part of an 11-year pro career, George was a part of NBA championship squads in his first three seasons (2000-02) -- one of only seven players in NBA history to be a part of title teams in their first three years of pro action. Playing seven years for the Lakers, three years for the Dallas Mavericks and one year with the Golden State Warriors, he averaged 5.6 points and 3.1 rebounds per-game in 630 regular-season games, and 5.0 points and 2.7 rebounds per-game in 86 career playoff games.

In his college career at Augsburg, George led the Auggies to two Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular-season championships and berths in the NCAA Division III national playoffs (1997-98 and 1998-99), earning conference Most Valuable Player honors both times. He earned multiple Division III All-American honors in both his junior and senior seasons. He finished his college career with 2,258 career points and 868 career rebounds, both second in school history. While playing in just 96 career games, he fell only 13 points short of the school's scoring record. George finished his career with a 23.5 points-per-game average, best in school history, and had a 9.0 rebounds-per-game average.

Since retiring from the NBA in 2010, George returned to the Twin Cities and began a successful real estate development company, George Group North, along with a nonprofit organization, Building Blocks. Through his two endeavors, George has helped to rebuild his native north Minneapolis neighborhood through developing high-quality, affordable housing that includes attractive amenities to help serve the community. While an NBA player, he was also involved in numerous community service programs, especially those that served underprivileged children, both in his NBA cities and in his native Minneapolis. George was honored during the 2019 Final Four as an NCAA "Living Legend" for his community service in the Twin Cities and for fostering inclusion in athletics. Devean and his wife, Patricia, live in Plymouth, Minn. and have three children, Daylen Sharper, Logan George and Julian George.