Forgotten Kobe Bryant teammate who won three NBA titles builds affordable housing and dismisses wild Shaq claim
FORMER Lakers small forward Devean George has found time to build affordable housing in his post-retirement days.
And the 45-year-old has denied a wild claim between him and Shaquille O'Neal.
George played alongside Kobe Bryant and O'Neal after being drafted by the Lakers in the first round of the 1999 NBA draft.
He's a three-time champion with the Lakers and spent eight seasons with the team as a bench player.
But a rumor surfaced from former Lakers point guard Tyronn Lue, who appeared on Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles Knuckleheads podcast in June of 2022.
Lue was teammates with George and O'Neal in the early 2000s.
Read More on Sports
According to Lue, Shaquille was annoyed that George didn't bring donuts to a meeting and decided to defecate in one of the small forward's shoes.
That led to George putting his foot in the shoe and leading to a brutal result.
Last December, George put the allegations to rest when he spoke to TMZ Sports.
"Hell no, that's a lie, that's cap and I know T-Lue started that," George said.
Most read in Basketball
He continued: "That never happened. "I think he did that to someone in Orlando. I don't remember the dude's name, but he did that in Orlando. But he never took a s**t in my shoes."
George played for the Dallas Mavericks in 2006-09 before suiting up his final two years with the Golden State Warriors in 2009-10.
He retired from the NBA after 12 seasons in 2011, racking up 3,536 points and 1,975 rebounds.
In 2012, George announced a proposal for an affordable apartment project in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he grew up.
The 45-year-old has developed two housing projects in North Minneapolis.
And in 2022, George proposed to create a modular construction facility near Minnesota Twins stadium Target Field to build apartment units.
The project would land 315 jobs with access for North Minneapolis residents.
It would also bring technology throughout the city while lowering the cost of housing.
George told a city committee he wants to create the plant to help the community that raised him growing up.
"The same people that nurtured me and helped me be successful — now they're asking for jobs," he said, via Axios Twin Cities.
Read More on The US Sun
"Now they're asking for housing.
"So I wanted to build a business and to rebuild our city, which I love so much."