Justin Champagnie

Justin Champagnie's Biography

Justin John Champagnie, born on June 29, 2001, is a prominent professional basketball player from the United States. He plays for the prestigious team, the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Capital City Go-Go for the NBA G League.

Hailing from Staten Island, New York, Champagnie was brought up in Brooklyn and attended the Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School. As a remarkable senior, he recorded an average of 19.8 points per game and was notably named the first team Class AA All-State. As a three-star college recruit, he boldly chose to join the Pittsburgh Panthers for collegiate basketball, passing up offers from universities like Cincinnati, Dayton, Seton Hall, Saint Louis, and Rutgers.

Exhibiting exceptional performance as a freshman, Champagnie took the lead in the Panthers’ scores with 12.7 points and 7 rebounds per game. His exceptional performances in games against Notre Dame and Georgia Tech earned him titles like the CBS Sports/USBWA National Freshman of the Week and the ACC Freshman of the Week. Unfortunately, Champagnie sustained a knee injury during practice and was side-lined for six weeks, starting from December 22, 2020.

Despite his injury phase, on January 19, 2021, Champagnie showcased a triumphant comeback by scoring 31 points with 14 rebounds, leading the Panthers to a 79–73 win over Duke. By the end of the regular season, he was proudly selected for the First Team All-ACC. As a sophomore, he maintained steady performance by averaging 18 points, 11.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game. Following the season, with a strong desire to dream bigger, he declared for the 2021 NBA draft, forfeiting his remaining college eligibility.

Champagnie was predicted to be in the late first to early second round picks in the 2021 NBA draft. After remaining undrafted, Champagnie got his big break when he signed a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors on August 7, 2021. As Raptors’ Scottie Barnes was unable to play due to injury, Champagnie was invited for his professional debut at the NBA on November 1, 2021. Even though he scored his first two NBA points on free throws, it was a victory over the New York Knicks. During his tenure with the Raptors, he was under All-NBA Forward Pascal Siakam’s mentorship, who was like an elder brother to him.

On July 14, 2022, Champagnie renewed his contract with the Raptors for two years. But by the end of the year, Raptors decided to waive him off their contract. A couple of weeks later, in January 2023, the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA G League claimed him off waivers. Months later, in April, he signed a new contract with the Boston Celtics, only to be waived off again by the end of July.

In August 2023, Champagnie was signed by the Miami Heat, but he was again waived off in October. Yet, by the end of the month, he was back in action with the Sioux Falls Skyforce again. Champagnie had his career’s significant breakthrough when he got signed for a 10-day contract with the Washington Wizards in February 2024. In appreciation of his hard work and dedication, on March 3, he was offered a two-way contract by the Wizards.

Champagnie’s twin brother, Julian, also shares his love for basketball and plays professionally for the San Antonio Spurs. His father, Ranford Champagnie, was a passionate soccer player and played for St. John’s University in the mid-1990s, being a significant part of the 1996 national championship team.