The NBA announced Wednesday that San Antonio Spurs swingman Keldon Johnson has been voted the league's Sixth Man of the Year by a 100-member global media panel.
San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson reacts after scoring a three-point basket during the second half of game two of the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas.
The seventh-year veteran earned the John Havlicek Trophy for delivering 13.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game while shooting 51.9% from the field and 36.3% from 3-point range. He was the only player in the league to come off the bench in all 82 games.
"It's a little emotional," Johnson said on ESPN after he was revealed as the winner. "It's a big accomplishment. A lot of hard work goes into an award like this."
Johnson ranked as the No. 5 scorer and No. 4 rebounder on a squad that posted the league's second-best record (62-20) during the regular season.
The 26-year-old Kentucky product spent his entire NBA career with the Spurs after being drafted with the 29th overall pick in 2019. He joins Manu Ginobili (2007-08) as the only Spurs to be named Sixth Man of the Year.
People are also reading…
During Johnson's first four years in the league he was an everyday starter for the Spurs, starting in 205 of the 224 games he appeared in. But during his fifth season he started to embrace the role as a spark plug off the bench, which has paid dividends.
"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 just do my thing."
"I wanted to be part of something special here in San Antonio. I knew that in order for me to really be the best for our team that coming off the bench was probably my best possibility. 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 of the 100 first-place votes and collected 404 points. The Miami Heat's Jaime Jaquez Jr., claimed 34 first-place votes and finished second in the balloting with 331 points. Jaquez averaged 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists while serving as a reserve in 74 of his 75 appearances this year.
Denver's Tim Hardaway Jr. took 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.
San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama suffered a concussion during his team’s 106-103 Game 2 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. Wembanyama sustained the injury during the second quarter after a fall, prompting the 22-year-old to be entered into concussion protocol. “I just know he has a concussion and he's in the protocol. We'll obviously take the proper and appropriate steps," said Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson. The newly crowned Defensive Player of the Year was driving to the basket with 8:57 left in the second quarter when he fell and landed on his chin. Wembanyama, who played just 12 minutes in the encounter, appeared to lose consciousness briefly before remaining under the basket for several minutes. The two-time All-Star eventually got up and headed down the tunnel and to the locker room at Frost Bank Center. Wembanayama was later ruled out of the game and will now be subject to the NBA’s concussion protocol guidelines before being cleared to play again. The Frenchman can’t return to full participation for 48 hours but can resume gradual activity after 24 hours as long as symptoms don't worsen. Wembanyama then must hit multiple benchmarks and receive clearance from a team doctor and the league protocol director before returning to competitive action. The Spurs will head to Portland for Game 3 of their first-round clash with the Trail Blazers on April 24 with the series being tied at 1-1.
