Former Los Angeles Lakers forward Devean George disputed the rumor that Shaquille O’Neal took a s— in his shoes during their time with the Lakers.
The rumor, which was brought up by Tyronn Lue on a podcast appearance, appears to be false. Lue had said that O’Neal was angry that George didn’t bring donuts to a meeting, leading to him using the forward’s shoe as a toilet.
However, George told TMZ that Lue’s story was made up.
“Hell no, that’s a lie, that’s cap,” George told TMZ. “And I know T-Lue started that.”
Apparently O’Neal may have done that to a teammate while he was with the Orlando Magic, but George never received such hazing from the Lakers legend.
“That never happened,” George said. “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— in my shoes.”
George, who played for the Lakers from the 1999-00 season through the 2005-06 campaign, had nothing but nice things to say about O’Neal as a teammate.
“He was a great teammate,” George said. “He’s a good guy, great dude. I love him.”
O’Neal helped George win three NBA titles in his career with the Lakers, so it makes sense that he is fond of the Hall of Fame center. While Lue believes that O’Neal did a horrible thing to his teammate, it’s nice to see George clear the air about the alleged incident.
George played 11 seasons in the NBA for the Lakers, Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks. He was mainly a bench player, starting just 108 of the 630 games he appeared in during his NBA career.
The forward averaged 5.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game while shooting 39.2 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from beyond the arc. George’s best year for the Lakers came in the 2003-04 season when he started 48 games and averaged 7.4 points per game.
O’Neal, one of the greatest big men in NBA history, was integral to the Lakers’ success in the early 2000s, winning the league MVP award in the 1999-00 campaign.
Over eight seasons with the Lakers, O’Neal averaged 27.0 points and 11.8 rebounds per game. While he didn’t finish his career in a Lakers uniform, there is no doubt that O’Neal is one of the most beloved figures in franchise history.
