Keldon Johnson Wins NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award

San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson has been named the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year.

The 26-year-old Spurs veteran, in his seventh season with the Texas franchise, earned the John Havlicek Trophy after a vote by 100 journalists. He becomes only the second player in San Antonio history to win the award, following Manu Ginobili in 2008.

Johnson made the most of his role coming off the bench, finishing the season averaging 13.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, while shooting an impressive 51.9% from the field. He was also the only player to come off the bench in all 82 regular-season NBA games.

“It’s a little emotional. This is a big accomplishment. A lot of hard work goes into winning an award like this,” Keldon Johnson told ESPN.

The American finished as the fifth-highest scorer and fourth in rebounds for a San Antonio team that boasted the league's second-best regular-season record at 62-20.

After being drafted 29th overall in 2019, Johnson was a starter for the Spurs in his first four seasons, starting in 205 of his 224 appearances. During his fifth campaign with the Texas team, the Kentucky product transitioned to a bench role and embraced it wholeheartedly, a decision that has paid dividends in the long run.

“I was a starter for a long time. Now it’s my turn to come off the bench. I just keep analyzing the game, coming off the bench, and doing my job. I wanted to be part of something special here in San Antonio. I knew that if I wanted to be useful to the team, playing off the bench would give me the best opportunity. It was tough at first. I had to control my ego and put the team first. After that, anything is possible,” Johnson explained.

The Spurs forward received 63 out of 100 possible first-place votes, accumulating 404 points. Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Miami Heat) finished second, with Tim Hardaway Jr. (Denver Nuggets) in third. Naz Reid (Minnesota Timberwolves), Isaiah Stewart (Detroit Pistons), and Mitchell Robinson (New York Knicks) each received one first-place vote.