Justin Champagnie Bio
Justin John Champagnie is an American professional basketball player for the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Born on June 29, 2001, in New York City, New York, and raised in Brooklyn, Champagnie has built his early career on rebounding, defense, and a high-motor style on the wing. After a standout two-year run with the Pittsburgh Panthers, he entered the professional ranks in 2021 and has since developed into a versatile contributor across the NBA and the NBA G League.
Standing 6 feet 6 inches tall and playing primarily as a forward, Champagnie is known for his energy on the glass and his willingness to guard multiple positions. His journey from a three-star high school recruit to an NBA rotation player traces a steady climb through the developmental ranks of the Toronto Raptors system, the Boston Celtics, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, and now the Washington Wizards.
Early Life and Background
Justin John Champagnie was born on June 29, 2001, in Staten Island, New York, and grew up in the Kensington neighborhood of Brooklyn. He was raised in a multi-generational New York family with strong sporting roots. His mother’s family is from Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, while his father, Ranford Champagnie, grew up in the Bronx after immigrating from Jamaica. The family later settled in Brooklyn, where Justin and his identical twin brother, Julian, were immersed in a competitive sporting environment from an early age.
Ranford Champagnie played soccer at St. John’s University in the mid-1990s and was a member of the 1996 national championship team. He later became a professional soccer coach, leading the men’s soccer programs at Baruch College and York College. Justin is of Jamaican descent, and the family’s athletic heritage gave both twins an early framework for organized competition. That background shaped Justin’s development as a multi-sport youth athlete before he focused on basketball.
Champagnie attended Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Brooklyn, where he starred as a senior with averages of 19.8 points per game. His play earned him first-team Class AA All-State honors in New York. Rated as a three-star college recruit, he chose the University of Pittsburgh over scholarship offers from Cincinnati, Dayton, Seton Hall, Saint Louis, and Rutgers.
Path to Basketball
Champagnie’s path to the professional game accelerated quickly at Pittsburgh. As a true freshman for the Panthers in 2019-20, he led the team in scoring with 12.7 points per game and in rebounding with 7.0 boards per contest. He was recognized as the CBS Sports and USBWA National Freshman of the Week, and as the ACC Freshman of the Week, after posting 25 points and 10 rebounds across games against Notre Dame and Georgia Tech. A knee injury suffered in practice on December 22, 2020, sidelined him for at least six weeks, but he returned in time to deliver one of the signature performances of his college career.
On January 19, 2021, Champagnie erupted for 31 points and 14 rebounds in a 79-73 win over Duke, cementing his status as one of the conference’s top young forwards. At the end of the regular season, he was selected to the First Team All-ACC. As a sophomore, he averaged 18.0 points, 11.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game, showing the all-around profile that scouts had projected. After his sophomore campaign, Champagnie declared for the 2021 NBA draft and forewent his remaining college eligibility.
Justin Champagnie Career
Early Career (2021-2022)
After going undrafted in the 2021 NBA draft, Champagnie signed a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors on August 7, 2021, splitting his time between the Raptors and their G League affiliate, Raptors 905. He made his NBA debut on November 1, 2021, scoring his first two points on free throws in a victory over the New York Knicks, with the opportunity created by an injury to Scottie Barnes.
During his time in Toronto, Champagnie was mentored by All-NBA forward Pascal Siakam, whom he has described as a big brother figure. The organization re-signed him to a two-way contract on July 14, 2022, but the Raptors waived him on December 29, 2022, ending his first stint in the league.
Toronto Raptors and Raptors 905 (2021-2022)
Champagnie’s Raptors chapter began as a developmental project in head coach Nick Nurse’s system, where he was asked to defend multiple positions and crash the offensive glass. In the G League with Raptors 905, he refined his pick-and-roll reads and three-point shooting. The early call-up to the NBA gave him a brief but memorable first taste of league action against one of his hometown teams.
Boston Celtics (2023)
On January 10, 2023, Champagnie was claimed off waivers by the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA G League, and on April 7, 2023, he signed with the Boston Celtics. The Celtics waived him on July 31, 2023, keeping the door open for him to land elsewhere in training camp.
Sioux Falls Skyforce (2023-2024)
On August 11, 2023, Champagnie signed with the Miami Heat but was waived on October 21, 2023, just before the regular season. Nine days later, he returned to the Sioux Falls Skyforce, where he produced one of his strongest professional seasons. In 2024, he was named to the All-NBA G League Second Team, a recognition that helped reignite his NBA prospects.
Washington Wizards Era (2024-Present)
On February 22, 2024, Champagnie signed a 10-day contract with the Washington Wizards, and on March 3, 2024, he converted to a two-way deal. He earned a standard roster spot with the organization and, on March 2, 2025, agreed to a four-year, $10 million contract that runs through the 2027-28 season. On February 10, 2025, he played against his identical twin brother, Julian, of the San Antonio Spurs, joining a very small group of twins to face each other in an NBA game.
Driving Style and Strengths
Champagnie fits the profile of a modern combo forward who wins with effort, length, and rebounding. He is at his best as a cutter, an offensive rebounder, and a connective defender who can switch across positions. As his perimeter shot continues to mature, he projects as a high-energy rotation piece for the Wizards.
Notable Events and Milestones
Beyond his first NBA points against the Knicks and his 31-point, 14-rebound performance against Duke, Champagnie has authored several career milestones in 2024 and 2025. His All-NBA G League Second Team selection in 2024 and his long-term contract with the Wizards in 2025 have given him his clearest NBA foothold yet, while the February 2025 meeting with twin brother Julian added a memorable family storyline to his professional journey.
Justin Champagnie Career Wins
Justin John Champagnie’s professional resume features team-level contributions more than individual titles, with his most prominent honors coming in the form of conference and developmental recognition rather than championship trophies.
College and NBA G League Highlights
At the University of Pittsburgh, Champagnie earned First Team All-ACC honors following the 2020-21 season after leading the Panthers in scoring and rebounding as a sophomore. He also collected multiple weekly awards, including ACC Freshman of the Week and National Freshman of the Week. In the NBA G League, he was named to the All-NBA G League Second Team for the 2023-24 season with the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
Other Wins and Performances
Champagnie was a first-team Class AA All-State selection in New York as a high school senior at Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School. He has notched signature NBA performances, including his first NBA points against the New York Knicks in 2021 and a strong showing against the San Antonio Spurs in 2025 that paired him on the floor with his twin brother, Julian.
Justin Champagnie Family
Family Background and Basketball Lineage
Champagnie comes from a multi-generational New York family with deep ties to sports. His father, Ranford Champagnie, played soccer at St. John’s University in the mid-1990s and was a member of the 1996 national championship team before becoming a collegiate head coach. Justin’s identical twin brother, Julian Champagnie, is also a professional basketball player and currently plays for the San Antonio Spurs.
Personal Life
Justin John Champagnie is of Jamaican descent and was raised in Kensington, Brooklyn, where his mother’s family has long-standing roots in Carroll Gardens. The twins grew up in a household shaped by their father’s coaching career, which influenced their competitive approach to the game. He continues to make his home in Brooklyn, New York.
2025 Season Performance
The 2024-25 season marked a turning point in Justin Champagnie’s career. After spending the early portion of the year on a two-way contract, he signed a four-year, $10 million deal with the Washington Wizards on March 2, 2025, securing his long-term NBA future. The Wizards continued to use him as a high-energy forward off the bench, leaning on his rebounding and defensive versatility.
On February 10, 2025, Champagnie faced his twin brother, Julian, when the Wizards hosted the San Antonio Spurs, becoming part of a small fraternity of twins to oppose one another in an NBA game. The matchup drew national attention and gave Justin a notable personal milestone in an otherwise transitional season for the rebuilding Wizards.
Looking ahead, the contract extension ties Champagnie to Washington through the 2027-28 season, giving the organization time to develop him into a consistent rotation piece. With his G League résumé and his first extended NBA runway, the 2025-26 season is positioned to be his clearest opportunity yet to establish himself as a long-term NBA contributor.