With San Antonio facing elimination against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Thursday night’s Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals on NBC and Peacock, the Spurs are going to need all hands on deck… not just the giant hands of star center Victor Wembanyama.
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That means the Spurs are going to need meaningful contributions from Stephon Castle, De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, Keldon Johnson, and Devin Vassell… but the most important Spur not named Victor might just be forward Julian Champagnie, who’s sweet 3-point shooting and gritty defense has been huge for the Spurs all season long… but needs to be even sweeter to get past the defending champs.
So who is the Spurs’ 24-year-old forward? Get to know Julian Champagnie below, and find out why he just might be the key to the Spurs’ Game 6 success this Thursday on NBC and Peacock.
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Who is the San Antonio Spurs’ forward Julian Champagnie?
Julian Champagnie was born in 2001 in Staten Island, New York. He was raised in Brooklyn, and played high school ball alongside his twin brother, Justin (who now plays for the Washington Wizards), at Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School. After high school, Champagnie played college ball at St. John’s University from 2019–2022, earning First Team All-Big East honors during his sophomore and junior seasons. He decided to skip his senior season and declare for the 2022 NBA Draft, but ultimately went undrafted.
After going undrafted, Champagnie signed a two-way deal with Philadelphia, going up and down between the 76ers and their NBA G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats. Alas, he didn’t make it through the whole season and was waived on Valentine’s Day, 2023.
While that could have been a real heartbreaker, the Spurs claimed Champagnie off waivers just two days later, and signed him to a new two-way contract. He ended up playing 15 games with San Antonio that season, who needed all the help they could get while finishing 22–60. He’s been playing for the Spurs ever since, including all 82 games this season, when they were the second best team in the league, turning things completely around and finishing 62–20.
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Why Julian Champagnie might be the key to Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals between the Spurs and Thunder
According to Pounding the Rock, during the 2025/26 regular season, Champagnie averaged 11.1 points per game while shooting a blistering 38.1% from the 3-Point stripe… but in the Western Conference Finals, he’s averaging 10.6 points per game and just 27.8% from deep through five games.
That’s a significant drop, and testament to the ferocious team defense the Thunder have been playing. Granted, Champagnie has contributed significantly all series long on defense and rebounding, and he did drop 22 points in Game 5… but 17 of those came in the first half, and the Spurs ended up losing that game.
But if Champagnie and the rest of the Spurs can start sinking 3’s at a higher clip, that could help spread the floor and create some space inside for Wembanyana, Castle, and Fox to get into the paint… which is where the battle will be won. Will it be enough to win the war? We shall see!
How can you watch Game 6 of the Spurs vs. Thunder Western Conference Finals?
See if Julian Champagnie and the Spurs can keep it going against the Thunder in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals, this Thursday, May 28, at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
