Who is Julian Champagnie? Meet undrafted forward who became Spurs’ unlikely playoff hero
The San Antonio Spurs are unquestionably Victor Wembanyama’s team, but it takes more than a team of one to compete for a championship.
Read more How Chet Holmgren was silenced by Victor Wembanyama, Spurs throughout Western Conference Finals
The Spurs have built a talented core around their young star, including high lottery picks Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, but one of their most essential pieces didn’t even get a look when he entered the NBA Draft.
Julian Champagnie has been a frequent savior for the Spurs in these playoffs, and he proved pivotal again Saturday night when he started 5-of-6 from 3-point range in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, ultimately finishing with 20 points in his team’s massive win.
Here’s what you need to know about Champagnie as he breaks through for the Spurs.
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Who is Julian Champagnie?
Champagnie grew up in the New York basketball scene, as he was born on Staten Island and played his high school basketball at Bishop Loughlin in Brooklyn. Despite impressing on some disappointing St. John’s teams, Champagnie went undrafted out of college and didn’t get his start in San Antonio.
The Philadelphia 76ers instead signed Champagnie to a two-way deal after the 2022 draft, but he appeared in only two games with the Sixers before being waived to make room for Mac McClung ahead of the Slam Dunk Contest.
The Spurs, mired in a rebuild and aiming for the chance to draft Wembanyama, picked up Champagnie two days later and gave him some run with playoff contention nowhere near realistic. Champagnie used that opportunity to earn his way onto the 2023-24 roster, and he has grown alongside Wembanyama and the rest of San Antonio’s core to help turn the franchise into a legitimate championship contender sooner than anyone expected.
Champagnie started 68 of 82 games this past season, averaging a career-high 11.1 points per game, and he hasn’t missed a single game over his last two seasons.
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Where did Julian Champagnie go to college?
Champagnie spent three seasons at St. John’s under coach Mike Anderson, averaging 19.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game as a sophomore before withdrawing from the NBA Draft and returning to average 19.2 points and 6.6 rebounds per game as a junior in 2021-22.
Despite Champagnie’s offensive success, the Red Storm never reached the NCAA Tournament during his time with the program.
Julian Champagnie brother
Champagnie is one of two brothers in the NBA, as his twin brother, Justin, has also carved out a nice career for himself despite going undrafted.
Justin started out with the Toronto Raptors but has settled in nicely with the Washington Wizards, averaging 8.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game over the last two seasons while playing more than 20 minutes per night.
Justin didn’t follow his brother in the college ranks, as he spent his college days at Pittsburgh and entered the NBA after averaging 18.0 points and 11.1 rebounds per game in his sophomore season.
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Julian Champagnie stats
| Season | Team | Games | PPG | RPG | APG | FG% | 3pt% |
| 2022-23 | PHI/SAS | 17 | 9.7 | 3.5 | 0.6 | 45.4% | 40.2% |
| 2023-24 | Spurs | 74 | 6.8 | 2.8 | 1.4 | 40.8% | 36.5% |
| 2024-25 | Spurs | 82 | 9.9 | 3.9 | 1.4 | 41.5% | 37.1% |
| 2025-26 | Spurs | 82 | 11.1 | 5.8 | 1.5 | 43.7% | 38.1% |
| Career | 255 | 9.4 | 4.1 | 1.4 | 42.4% | 37.5% |
Champagnie averaged career-highs in points, rebounds and assists in 2025-26, playing all 82 games for the second consecutive season and shooting better than 38 percent from 3-point range.
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