Christmas Day will be a different kind of homecoming for former St. John's star Julien Champagnie.
For the first time since his college days, the Brooklyn native will be on the Garden floor in a key role.
The 6-foot-8 Champagnie is having a breakout season with the Spurs, averaging 12.5 points and 5.1 rebounds on 36 percent 3-point shooting on 7.3 shots in 29.3 minutes.
He appeared in all 29 games for the Spurs and started 26 games as a court spacer on the wing.
“I'm looking forward to experiencing Christmas in New York with all the tourists,” Champagnie told reporters this week. “I've never experienced anything like that before. I wish it would snow, but it doesn't matter because it doesn't.
“24th [my fiancée and I] We will celebrate Christmas Eve together. Just relax. She is also from New York. We're going to look at trees, do a few things, and go to an observation deck. Look around and experience the city all over again. It's been a while. ”
Champagnie, 23, spent three years at St. John's and was a two-time first-team All-Big East selection.
However, he went undrafted in 2022 and was waived by the 76ers in February 2023.
The Spurs picked him up and signed him to a partially guaranteed, four-year, $12 million contract in July of that year.
Champagnie began carving out a role for himself last year, appearing in 74 games and scoring 6.8 points in 19.8 minutes.
He played just three minutes during the Spurs' trip to the Garden last season.
“I've always said that no matter what the situation is, I'm going to adapt,” Champagnie said. “Here they asked me to shoot a basketball, and I like shooting, so it worked out somehow.”
Not only will Champagnie return to the Garden, one of the Johnnys' home courts, on Christmas Day, but the Spurs will play the Nets in Brooklyn on Friday.
He grew up in the borough and attended Bishop Rocklin High School, just a few blocks from Barclays Center.
But he's not going to let that get in his way.
“I'm in New York this week on business,” Champagnie said. “We're going to see everyone we want to see, we're going to see everyone we have to see. But the main focus is still the main focus. We're going to win two games. That's our goal. So it's like being at home. You can't act like that yet.
