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Devean George 鈥�99 was the first NCAA Division III player ever selected in the first round of the NBA Draft鈥攁nd he played professionally for more than a decade. Now retired from basketball, he鈥檚 gone back to his roots to help revitalize the Minneapolis neighborhood where he grew up.

November 3, 1999. The Los Angeles Lakers are debuting in their brand new home, the Staples Center, with an unveiling ceremony followed by a game against the Vancouver Grizzlies. A crowd of 20,000 fans is packed inside, waiting for NBA stars Kobe Bryant or Shaquille O鈥橬eal to make opening remarks.

But instead, the Lakers players decide to encourage their newest rookie to address the crowd. The lights go down, and all becomes still. In less than 30 seconds, it鈥檚 go time.

鈥淣o, guys, don鈥檛 make me do this! I don鈥檛 know what to do,鈥� whispers a 22-year-old George. But his pleas were met with laughter.

鈥淚 just remember shaking in my boots. There are tens of thousands of people here, and I鈥檓 going to be out at center court鈥攁ll eyes on me,鈥� recalls George. 鈥淪o I get out there, and it just clicked. It was easy.鈥�

George credits his education in communication studies from Augsburg for helping to prepare him for that life-changing moment, as well as all of his public speaking engagements from that point forward.

鈥淎s an NBA player, you have a camera with that big, red light in front of your face every day,鈥� George said. 鈥淵ou have to know how to conduct yourself and communicate effectively. And all those communication classes I took at Augsburg come into play.鈥�

From 10,000 lakes to the Los Angeles Lakers

After high school, George enrolled at Augsburg assuming he would play basketball for the Auggies, earn a degree, and find a job in business. But his 鈥渉oop dreams鈥� became a reality pretty early on in his Augsburg career.

鈥淲hen I recruited Devean, he was about 6’2″ and 170 pounds,鈥� said former Augsburg basketball coach Brian Ammann 鈥�85. 鈥淔ortunately for Devean, he grew about five inches and put on 50 pounds by his sophomore year. And his hard work paid off in big ways.鈥�

George was the first NCAA Division III player ever selected in the first round of the NBA Draft. He was the 23rd overall pick in 1999, chosen by the Los Angeles Lakers鈥攐ne of the most storied franchises in NBA history.

George is now retired from the NBA after playing 11 seasons and becoming only the seventh player in history to win a league championship in each of his first three seasons. He has since found a successful career in real estate development and a passion for giving back.

Building a firm foundation

George was raised by devoted, hardworking parents in the Willard-Hay neighborhood of north Minneapolis and still calls the Twin Cities home鈥夆�斺�塧 place he loves for its friendly people and four seasons. His current work focuses on helping to improve his childhood community.

After George joined the NBA, he started volunteering his time in schools and after-school programs. He noticed many of the children he visited didn鈥檛 have stable housing, which significantly affected their security and education.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 when I decided helping kids and families would be the foundation of what I do,鈥� said George, who has two young sons. He founded Building Blocks, a nonprofit organization committed to providing quality housing, community development, and programming for youth and families.

鈥淚f you don鈥檛 have stable housing, you鈥檙e not going to care about schooling, safety, or eating healthy. If we get those families into stable housing, then they can focus on those other things,鈥� George said.

A slam dunk

George鈥檚 first affordable housing project opened this spring鈥擳he Commons at Penn in north Minneapolis, an income-restricted, 47-unit workforce apartment building that also includes an on-site health and wellness facility, an after-school program, a fitness center, a toddler playground, and a grocery store.

Long-term, George would like to help create a more family-friendly community in north Minneapolis鈥攁 community that provides greater amenities for its residents. So far, The Commons at Penn has been a successful addition to the neighborhood.

鈥淸The] Commons at Penn achieves multiple city goals: creating new, high-quality, affordable housing options [and] increased residential density along a key commercial and transit corridor, and bringing in commercial activity and services,鈥� said Andrea Brennan, director of Housing Policy and Development for the City of Minneapolis. 鈥淭his project sets us on a promising course to continue development at this important north Minneapolis node.鈥�

George is planning phase two of The Commons at Penn, which will go up right across the street from the existing mixed-use building. He also is developing housing complexes in South Carolina and Louisiana, and has been contacted by fellow professional athletes who would like to see a change in the neighborhoods where they were raised.

Investing in our future

In addition to literally helping build a solid foundation for families through stable housing, George also helps build a strong foundation for young people through mentorship programs like Read to Achieve.

鈥淭he kids think that [NBA players] are not human beings because we know how to play basketball,鈥� said George. 鈥淚f I can tell a kid to go to school and not to do drugs, and just because I can play basketball he鈥檒l listen to me, I鈥檓 going to try to use that to my advantage.鈥�

George is also busy instilling the values of compassion and service in his own two sons, ages 7 and 4. For starters, they learn to share by donating their toys to kids who otherwise wouldn鈥檛 have any.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e still young, but I started teaching my boys early on a way of giving and understanding. I explain to them that this [lifestyle] isn鈥檛 normal; they鈥檙e in a blessed situation,鈥� George said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been able to achieve a lot of things. But I know I鈥檝e had a lot of help along the way.鈥�