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OKLAHOMA CITY — Julian Champagnie is headed home to play in the NBA Finals in New York City — and it’s hard for him to get his head around it.
A kid born in Brooklyn who played his high school ball at Bishop Loughlin Memorial in the city, who honed his style and found toughness on playgrounds around the city, then went to college at St. John’s, is a key reason the San Antonio Spurs are headed to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014.
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“That’s every kid’s dream. That’s every kid’s dream,” Champagnie said, shaking his head in disbelief when asked about playing in the Finals at Madison Square Garden. “I remember my first time actually playing in the Garden. I was at St. John’s, and I was just like in awe of just how much greatness has gone through there, and what that means for a kid from the city. Being that now we got to go play against [the Knicks] for a championship, that’s personal.”
San Antonio gets that opportunity in part because Champagnie stepped up when his team needed him. In Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, Champagnie knocked down six 3-pointers — the only other players to hit six 3-pointers in a conference finals are the Splash Brothers Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson — and finished with 20 points.
“Julian’s amazing. He deserves everything that he gets,” Victor Wembanyama said. “And he’s the type of guy that makes you want to die for him on the court, because he gives so much effort, and he’s got such an amazing story.”
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Champagnie’s journey
That story sounds like a fairy tale now, but Champagnie’s journey to get here was anything but.
Three years ago, Champagnie wondered if he was even going to get another chance in the NBA.
On Feb. 14, 2023, the Philadelphia 76ers waived Champagnie from his two-way NBA contract. Why? The 76ers never told him. However, his exit created a two-way contract spot for Mac McClung, who not-so-coincidentally was about to represent the 76ers in the All-Star Saturday Night Dunk Contest.
“Back then, being what, like 22 I think I was [21, actually], I thought it was over. I ain’t gonna lie to you,” Champagnie said. “I was always told…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/spurs-julian-champagnie-brooklyn-kid-140136485.html
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Publish date : 2026-05-31 14:01:00
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