NBA: Spurs swingman Keldon Johnson wins NBA's Sixth Man award

San Antonio Spurs guard Keldon Johnson was named NBA Sixth Man of the Year after a standout season off the bench, averaging 13.2 points and 5.4 rebounds while shooting efficiently in all 82 games. He becomes the second Spur to win the award, joining Manu Ginobili, and earned 63 first-place votes from a global media panel.

FIELD LEVEL MEDIA / Reuters

April 23, 2026

San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson (3) reacts after scoring a three-point basket during the second half of Game 2 of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Portland Trail Blazers at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, April 21, 2026.

Scott Wachter / Reuters

The NBA announced on Wednesday that San Antonio Spurs swingman Keldon Johnson has been named the league’s Sixth Man of the Year, as voted by a 100-member global media panel.

Johnson, in his seventh NBA season, earned the John Havlicek Trophy after delivering a strong campaign off the bench. He averaged 13.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game while shooting 51.9% from the field and 36.3% from three-point range. Notably, he was the only player in the league to come off the bench in all 82 regular-season games.

“It’s a little emotional,” Johnson said during an ESPN interview after being announced as the winner. “It’s a big accomplishment. A lot of hard work goes into an award like this.”

Johnson played a key role for San Antonio, ranking as the team’s No. 5 scorer and No. 4 rebounder. The Spurs finished the regular season with a 62-20 record, the second-best mark in the league.

The 26-year-old Kentucky product has spent his entire NBA career with the Spurs after being selected 29th overall in the 2019 NBA Draft. He becomes just the second player in franchise history to win Sixth Man of the Year, joining Manu Ginóbili, who earned the honor in the 2007-08 season.

Johnson began his career primarily as a starter, starting in 205 of his first 224 games over his first four seasons. However, he transitioned into a bench role in recent years, a move he says required both adjustment and maturity.

“I started for a long time,” Johnson said. “Now it’s my time to come off the bench. I just continue to analyze the game, come off the bench, go in there and do my thing.”

“I wanted to be part of something special here in San Antonio. I knew that to be the best for the team, coming off the bench was probably my best opportunity. At first, it was tough. I had to control my ego and put the team first. After that, the sky was the limit.”

Johnson received 63 first-place votes and totaled 404 points. Miami Heat guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. finished second with 331 points, including 34 first-place votes. Jaquez averaged 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists while coming off the bench in 74 of his 75 appearances.

Denver’s Tim Hardaway Jr. placed third in the voting, while Minnesota’s Naz Reid, Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart, and New York’s Mitchell Robinson each received one first-place vote.

— Field Level Media / Reuters