San Antonio’s sharpshooter came up big in Game 7 against the Thunder, and now will return home for a chance at the title.
SAN ANTONIO — Julian Champagnie knows a thing or two about self-belief.
The Spurs sharpshooter who set a new franchise record for most 3-pointers in a season this year has talked about making the most of his opportunity in Texas after being waived by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2023, having played for less than four minutes with the team. He had gone undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft.
“It was tough for a 22-year-old kid,” he said. “I had no clue where I would end up… obviously it ended up being (in) San Antonio. I put my head down and said, ‘Make it work, whatever they give you.'”
He’s made it work.
Three years later, the 24-year-old forward out of St. John’s has become a vital piece of the Spurs rotation now moving on to the NBA Finals.
But the road to get there was difficult—a seven-game onslaught against the defending champion Thunder where his self-belief and poise again shone as strengths.
After a tough start to the Western Conference Finals that saw him shooting just 16.6% from downtown (he averaged 38.1 % in the regular season) while averaging 7.8 points per game in Games 1-4, Champagnie kept with his rhythm and found his shot.
He averaged 17.3 points while hitting just under 48% from downtown in Games 5-7, including the Spurs’ two wins when facing elimination. His 20 points in the series clincher was third-most in the game behind MVP candidates Victor Wembanyama and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander; the performance saw him hitting 6-10 from beyond the arc.
“I think my teammates do a really good job of keeping me in check, making sure I don’t ever get too high, ever get too low,” he said. “I give that all to them, honestly and truly.”
But the Spurs are also quick to highlight Champagnie’s all-around impact that continued to be on display against the Thunder, particularly on the defensive end.
He averaged 6.1 rebounds in the series, and has been stronger on the boards than any Spur this postseason not named Wembanyama. He also averaged a steal a game against OKC for good measure.
“He’s the type of guy that makes you want to die for him on the court, because he gives so much effort,” said Wembanyama after Game 7, also referencing the journey Champagnie has been on. “He’s got such an amazing story… he’s had tough moments, but he keeps pushing and now he’s taking this team to the NBA Finals.”
Champagnie’s hustle, head coach Mitch Johnson said, doesn’t always show up on the stat sheet. Johnson called No. 30 the team’s “unsung hero.”
“Julian’s been an integral part of our team defense, team rebounding, and all of that leads to us playing fast, which is our best version of our offense,” Johnson said. “He’s been absolutely phenomenal.”
‘Every kid’s dream’
Now, while Champagnie will pack his bags for his first NBA Finals experience, the locale will be in a familiar place starting in Game 3.
It’ll be home.
“I remember my first time actually playing in the garden,” said Champagnie, who is from Staten Island. “I was at St. John’s and I was just in awe of how much greatness had gone through there, and what that means for a kid from the city.”
However the Spurs individually prepare themselves to play in one of the country’s most iconic sports venues – let alone against a Knicks team making their first Finals trip since 1999, where they lost to David Robinson and Tim Duncan – Champagnie says he’s now looking forward to playing in front of his family, which hasn’t been the case so far in these playoffs.
He’s been to Madison Square Garden many a time. On this occasion, the Spurs will be happy to see him splashing down more threes and watering the team’s bid for a sixth championship.
“I’ve played through there so many times, so to go back there and compete for a championship? There’s no better feeling,” Champagnie said. “That’s every kid’s dream.”