Unranked. Undrafted. Cut on Valentine’s Day. 

Julian Champagnie’s journey has had as many stops and starts as the Brooklyn/Queens Expressway at rush hour. 

The Brooklyn native was overlooked in high school at Bishop Loughlin by power-conference schools. He was bypassed in the 2022 NBA Draft despite a strong career at St. John’s as a two-time All-Big East First-Team selection. He was waived by the 76ers in February 2023 so Philadelphia could sign Mac McClung simply to represent them in the Slam Dunk Contest at the All-Star Game. 

The 6-foot-7 Champagnie has overcome it all, and Wednesday night, he will take his sport’s greatest stage: starting in the NBA Finals against his hometown team.