San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson was named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year on Wednesday, becoming just the second player in franchise history to claim the award.
Johnson, 26, scored 1,081 points off the bench during the 2025-26 regular season, the highest single-season total by a reserve in Spurs history and the second-largest leaguewide. He is the first Spur to top 1,000 bench points in a campaign, surpassing the standard set by Hall of Famer Manu Ginóbili, who earned the honor in 2008.
Voting results
The league announced that Johnson received 63 first-place votes. Miami Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. earned 34 first-place votes, while Denver Nuggets guard Tim Hardaway Jr. finished third. Minnesota Timberwolves forward Naz Reid, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell, Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard, Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart, New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson, Minnesota guard Ayo Dosunmu, Toronto Raptors forward Sandro Mamukelashvili, San Antonio rookie Dylan Harper and Toronto guard Jamal Shead rounded out the top 12.
Adjustment to a new role
After leading the 2022-23 Spurs with a career-best 22.0 points per game, Johnson learned in a Dallas meeting with then-coach Gregg Popovich that he would shift to a reserve role. He has since come off the bench in 201 of his past 202 appearances, including 159 games over the last two seasons.
“I knew that to be the best for our team, coming off the bench was probably my best possibility,” Johnson told ESPN during the televised announcement. “At first, it was tough. I had to control my ego and put the team first.”
Impact and statistics
The seventh-year veteran logged 13 games of 20 or more points as a reserve, tying for the third-highest single-season total in Spurs history and the most since Ginóbili in 2006-07. Johnson also ranked among the NBA’s top five bench players in rebounds (303), free throws made (154), free throws attempted (194) and plus-minus (+3.9) while shooting a career-high 60 percent on two-point attempts.
“He has sacrificed more than anybody on this team,” teammate Victor Wembanyama said last month. “He brings energy no matter what time of day. He deserves to be the Sixth Man of the Year.”
Head coach Mitch Johnson echoed the sentiment in December, calling the forward “the heart and soul” of the club. Rookie guard Dylan Harper added that Johnson’s presence has helped create a welcoming locker-room culture.
The award caps an emotional season for the longest-tenured Spur. “It’s a big accomplishment,” Johnson said. “A lot of hard work goes into an award like this.”
Source: ESPN
