Victor Wembanyama grabbed most of the spotlight as San Antonio reached the NBA Finals, which was natural after his defining performance in the Western Conference Finals.
Yet Julian Champagnie deserved his flowers too. He finished Game 7 with 20 points, hitting six threes as the Spurs beat Oklahoma City 111-103.
Together, they left the Thunder behind and entered rare NBA history, giving San Antonio two reasons to celebrate.
San Antonio Spurs duo make history in Game 7
According to ESPN, Wembanyama became the first player in NBA history to record at least 15 threes and 15 blocks in a playoff series.
That stat captured his two-way uniqueness. He stretched Oklahoma City’s defence from deep while still protecting the rim across seven demanding games.
Champagnie’s history was more specific, but just as striking. StatMuse reported he became only the third player with more than five threes in a Conference Finals Game 7.
The other two names are Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry, which says plenty about the shooting company Champagnie joined after going 6-for-10 from three.
His story made the moment feel bigger. After the game, Champagnie admitted he thought his NBA career might be over when Philadelphia waived him in 2023.
San Antonio signed him just after, and the opportunity has now paid off for both sides on the biggest stage of his career.
Wembanyama will still be the headline, because that is the reality of his rise, but Champagnie gave Game 7 its unlikely second history-maker.