After going undrafted after three solid seasons at St. John's, Julian Champagnie wasn't sure that his basketball career would continue. He had been waived by the Philadelphia 76ers, which he readily admits was a low point, and was scooped up by a tanking San Antonio Spurs team.

While he had some solid outings to close out his rookie season with the Silver and Black, no one really thought that he would emerge as a key rotation player. The Spurs signed him to a non-guaranteed, four-year $12 million contract. With everything to lose and still a lot to prove, Champagnie began doing whatever the team asked of him.

He became a starter, bounced between the bench and the first five, and had his fair share of ups and downs. On New Year's Eve, as the Spurs beat the New York Knicks, Champagnie now has his place in the history books.

His 11 made 3-pointers in the last game is a franchise record, beating 1997's Chuck Person, who did it against the Vancouver Grizzlies.

Pearson, like Champagnie, wasn't a star, but he was capable of stepping up when needed. Like The Rifleman, Champagnie was cold heading into his record-breaking game. He credits Gregg Popovich for giving him the confidence to turn the tide.

"Basketball Gods, that's what Coach Pop always said," Champagnie reflected after the game. "This is how it comes back to you. But, yeah, I mean, coming to the game, I'm just telling myself, just chill. Shoot the ball. If you get it, shoot it. If you don't, play defense. Figure it out."

Champagnie shot only 22% from 3-point range in the eight games before he went off, but his defensive effort and rebounding remained solid. Fans called for him to be benched, although he knew it was only a matter of time before he found his shot again.

With Victor Wembanyama missing the fourth quarter with injury, the Spurs needed a spark, and Champagnie added 12 fourth-quarter points on 80% shooting from deep, just enough to ice the game in San Antonio.

"As a shooter, going through a tough stretch is tough," he explained. "I mean, it's hard. I can turn around and say, well, you know what? Tomorrow's a new day. I know what I have to do tomorrow. I'm going to go out there and do the same thing and play the same amount of time and, you know, figure it out tomorrow. So it's a good thing when you know that you have another chance to do it and that, you know, your teammates and coaches trust you."

Fans are hoping Chamapogbnie has turned over a new leaf, but even if he gets cold again, there's concrete evidence that he can turn things around at the drop of a hat.