It's official. Augsburg alum Devean George '99 will remain a member of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks. Read the release here. He's going to enter his 10th season in the NBA this fall -- amazing considering that only SEVEN players who played Division III basketball have ever played in the NBA, much less lasted for a decade.Please allow your SID host a little personal indulgence here ... I remember Devean when he was a player here at Augsburg (I started my work at Augsburg just before Devean's junior year), and how he developed into one of the best players the MIAC has ever seen. In his final two years, he dominated the conference, and Augsburg went on a magical ride to consecutive conference championships and berths in the NCAA national playoffs.
But even after dominating the MIAC and Division III (he averaged 27.5 points and 11.3 rebounds per game his senior year), and earning the attention of some pro scouts, there was still a "small-college" stigma attached to him as he attempted to take his game to the next level. Our coaches lobbied hard for Devean to be invited to the first pro tryout camp, the Portsmouth (Va.) Invitational, but the organizers declined. "We already have a D-III player," was the quote one organizer gave to our coaches, since another Division III player was already invited to the camp.
But just before the Portsmouth tournament began, a player pulled out, leaving the 64th and final roster spot available. Somehow, Devean was invited, and he shined, making the all-tournament team and earning some serious attention. He tried out for several teams, and eventually, the Los Angeles Lakers made him their first-round draft choice (trivia ... Devean was Phil Jackson's first draft selection as coach of the Lakers!). Yes, he was a role player, but he was also a part of three consecutive NBA title teams with Lakers.He's developed into a reliable swingman off the bench throughout his career, and his defensive skills have drawn accolades. He's also become an experienced veteran, a commodity that's sometimes hard to find in the NBA.
I have worked on the freelance statistics staff for the Minnesota Timberwolves for the past nine years, so I usually get to see Devean the two times his teams play at Target Center each year. Granted, the postgame meetings are short, as he's always meeting with family (including his wonderful mother Carol) and friends for a few minutes before he has to leave with the team, but my impression of him has always been the same -- a grounded, down-to-earth guy who works hard and enjoys his life.
As I was writing my news release on Devean yesterday, I went back to look at some of the stuff I wrote on him in past years ... from everything I see, Devean is the same guy now has he was a decade ago, when he was just an Auggie player trying to make it at the next level. I'm so glad to see that he continues to succeed in pro basketball, and represent Augsburg College so well.
-- Don Stoner
