“Back then, being 22 … I thought it was over. I ain’t going to lie to you.” Spurs wing Julian Champagnie was fresh off of an impressive performance in the biggest game of his career, knocking down 6-of-10 threes for 20 points, finishing as San Antonio’s second-leading scorer in their impressive 111–103 win, a Game 7 closeout of the defending champion Thunder on the road. A little over three years ago, he wasn’t sure whether he’d suit up in another NBA game. Champagnie, an undrafted free agent out of St. John’s in 2022, caught on the with 76ers organization, splitting time between the G League’s Delaware Blue Coats and Philadelphia, for whom he played in two games without scoring a point. On Feb. 14, 2023, he was waived by the organization in order to make room for G League stalwart and Slam Dunk Contest star Mac McClung. “I was always told how small the window is to get your foot in the league and stay there, and make a career for yourself,” Champagnie said after Saturday’s win. “Getting an opportunity only in the G League and then getting waived with no warning, no nothing—explanation or anything. It was tough for a 22-year old kid who was just thinking, I was going to chase my dreams and telling myself, ‘You can…
Published: May 31, 2026 5:07 pm
Source: Sports Illustrated — Read original