Official: Keldon Johnson Wins Sixth Man of the Year Award, Spurs Secure Two Major Honors This Season

On April 23 Beijing time, the NBA officially announced that Spurs player Keldon Johnson has been named the Sixth Man of the Year. He defeated the Heat's Jaime Jaquez Jr. and the Nuggets' Tim Hardaway Jr. to claim the award. The Spurs have now secured two major awards; previously, Victor Wembanyama was unanimously selected as the Defensive Player of the Year.

Johnson received 63 first-place votes, totaling 404 points. He is the second player in Spurs franchise history to win the Sixth Man of the Year award. During the 2007-08 season, Spurs player Manu Ginóbili previously earned this honor.

Last season, Johnson served as a full-time bench player for the Spurs, and this season he continued in that role with even better performance. He played all 82 regular-season games, averaging 23.3 minutes per game, contributing 13.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists, with a shooting percentage of 51.9% and a three-point percentage of 36.3%.

Johnson's two competitors also delivered solid performances this season. Jaquez Jr. gained widespread praise for his consistent offensive output, while Hardaway Jr. brought veteran experience and basketball IQ to the court. However, Johnson's combination of relentless effort, locker-room leadership, and contributions to winning undoubtedly earned him recognition across the league.

Johnson did not hide his ambition. He recently stated: "I play efficiently and consistently, delivering star-level performance within my role, and the team keeps winning. Considering all these factors, I fully deserve this honor—why shouldn't I be the Sixth Man of the Year? I give my full effort every day and always fulfill my responsibilities."

His fighting spirit and confident attitude reflect the entire Spurs team's mentality throughout the season. As a bench player, Johnson scored at least 20 points in 13 games this season, with the Spurs winning 11 and losing 2 in those contests. Among them, his performance against the Lakers stands out as a signature game: he played 27 minutes and 37 seconds off the bench, shooting 11-for-13, contributing 27 points and 6 rebounds.

The NBA began awarding the Sixth Man of the Year in the 1982-83 season. Historically, five players have won the award multiple times, with Jamal Crawford and Lou Williams each winning it three times, tying for the most in history. Kevin McHale, Ricky Pierce, and Detlef Schrempf each won it twice.

According to the NBA's award announcement schedule, the winner of the Sportsmanship Award will be revealed at 0:00 Beijing time on April 24.

Appendix: List of Sixth Man of the Year winners over the past 10 seasons—

2016-17 season: Eric Gordon (Rockets)

2017-18 season: Lou Williams (Clippers)

2018-19 season: Lou Williams (Clippers)

2019-20 season: Montrezl Harrell (Clippers)

2020-21 season: Jordan Clarkson (Jazz)

2021-22 season: Tyler Herro (Heat)

2022-23 season: Malcolm Brogdon (Celtics)

2023-24 season: Naz Reid (Timberwolves)

2024-25 season: Payton Pritchard (Celtics)

2025-26 season: Keldon Johnson (Spurs)