Former Pitt Forward Stars in Wizards' Win

A former Pitt Panthers forward starred in the Washington Wizards' win.

Dec 5, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Justin Champagnie (9) shoots the ball as Dallas Mavericks guard Jaden Hardy (1) looks on in the fourth quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH -- Former Pitt Panthers forward Justin Champagnie earned just his second career start in the NBA and played the best game of his career for the Washington Wizards.

Champagnie made his first NBA at home vs. the Denver Nuggets on Dec. 7, as the Wizards have dealt with a number of injuries to important players.

He played an important role in breaking the longest current losing streak in the NBA at 16 games, as the Wizards took down the Nuggets, 122-113, marking their first win since Oct. 30.

Champagnie scored a career-high 23 points, shooting 9-for-13 from the field, 2-for-4 from 3-point range and 3-for-5 from the foul line. He also tied his career-high with eight rebounds and added two steals and two blocks in 37 minutes of the victory.

Only guard Jordan Poole, who scored 38 points, had more points that Champagnie for the Wizards in the win.

This was just his fourth game this season, as he scored nine points in the last game, an 137-101 loss to Dallas on Dec. 5. He did the make the opening night roster and will likely stay with the team throughout the season.

Champagnie signed a 10-day contract in February and then a two-way contract in March with the Wizards. A Two-Way contract means that players with three years of experience or less receive one salary for playing in both the NBA and the NBA G-League. These contracts can last one or two seasons.

He has played eight games for the Capitol City Go-Go, the G-League team for the Wizards, averaging 36.5 minutes, 20.0 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.4 blocks and 1.1 steals per game in eight contests this season. He also shot 48.7% from the field and 75.0% from the foul line.

former Pitt star Bub Carrington is also on the Wizards roster, as he came in a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers. The Wizards got the No. 14 pick (Carrington) in a trade that sent Deni Avdija to the Trail Blazers. They also received Malcolm Brogdon, a 2029 First Round pick and two second round picks

Champagnie had a solid summer league campaign, averaging 13.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per game, while shooting 56.1% from the field in four contests.

He also played in the preseason and 15 games at the end of last season for Washington, averaging 5.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 15.7 minutes per game.

Champagnie committed to Pitt in the Class of 2019, as a three-star forward out of Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Brooklyn, N.Y.

He had a sensational freshman campaign, leading the team with 12.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 42.1% from the floor and 77.7% from the foul line. He also earned two ACC Freshman of the Week honors and started 27 of the 33 contests he played in.

Champagnie improved even more as a sophomore in the 2020-21 season, leading with 18.0 points and 11.1 rebounds per game, plus shooting 47.7% from the field, 31.1% from 3-point range and 71.1% from the free throw line.

His rebounding numbers led the ACC, which helped earn him First Team All-ACC honors, including three ACC Player of the Week honors too. He also earned an All-American honorable mention, the first Pitt player to do so since guards Ashton Gibbs and Brad Wanamaker did so in 2011.

Champagnie departed for the 2021 NBA Draft, but no team selected him. He spent time with both the Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics and on their G-League teams, but now with the Wizards, he'll have that chance to solidify important minutes this season, especially after this last performance.

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