Julian Champagnie Thought His NBA Career Was Over Three Years Ago. Now He’s the Spurs’ Unsung Finals Hero
Julian Champagnie’s rise from uncertainty to postseason impact has become one of the Spurs’ defining stories in their playoff run. After scoring 20 points and making 6 of 10 three-pointers in San Antonio’s 111-103 Game 7 win over the defending champion Thunder on the road, Champagnie reflected on how close he once came to leaving the league entirely. Less than four years ago, the 22-year-old undrafted forward was waived by Philadelphia after brief stints with the 76ers and their G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, with no scoring points in two NBA appearances. The experience left him doubting whether he would play another NBA game.
Instead of fading away, Champagnie used the setback as motivation. After joining San Antonio late in the 2022-23 season, he embraced a role centered on effort, spacing and versatility. He said he focused on making himself useful in whatever way the team needed, and that mindset helped him build a stable place in the rotation. Over time, he became more than a role player. Spurs coach Mitch Johnson called him an “unsung hero” after Game 7, praising not only his shooting but also his defense, rebounding and ability to create space for teammates. Johnson said Champagnie’s gravity matters even on nights when his shots are not falling, because his presence stretches defenses and supports the team’s preferred fast-paced style.
Champagnie’s importance has grown steadily through the past two seasons. He started 59 games in his first full season with the Spurs and then saw his minutes and production rise again in 2024-25. This season, his role changed several times as San Antonio adjusted around injuries and returns to the lineup. He opened the year as a starter, moved to the bench when De’Aaron Fox returned from a hamstring injury, then re-entered the starting five during Devin Vassell’s absence. Once Vassell returned, veteran Harrison Barnes moved out of the lineup instead, and Champagnie kept his starting spot for the final 50 games of the regular season. He has remained in the starting lineup through all 18 postseason games.
During that regular-season stretch, the Spurs went 39-11, including an undefeated February and a 14-2 March, a run that helped establish the lineup San Antonio is now relying on in the playoffs. In those games, Champagnie averaged 12 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists while shooting better than 40% from three-point range. His consistency has allowed him to fit alongside Fox, Vassell, Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama, forming a unit that has fueled San Antonio’s playoff success.
Champagnie’s story is now one of persistence rewarded. What once looked like the end of his NBA journey has turned into a critical role on a contender, with his scoring, spacing and unselfish play helping push the Spurs deeper into the postseason.
