Sixth Man Of The Year Keldon Johnson Joins Great Company

The Sixth Man of the Year award has some great names tied to it, and this year, another player added their name to the list. Keldon Johnson won this year’s award, as he played a big role in the San Antonio Spurs’ season. They finished the regular season with a record of 62-20, and the only team ahead of them was the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Johnson did well this season, as he averaged 13.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists. He played all 82 games, and he came off the bench in all of them. That helped solidify his case, and he won the award despite having stiff competition. He went against Denver Nuggets veteran Tim Hardaway Jr. and Miami Heat wing Jamie Jaquez. Now, Johnson’s team is preparing for a potentially deep playoff run, and they will need his efforts to make that happen.

Johnson Joins Past Sixth Man Of The Year Winners

Before Johnson took home the Sixth Man of the Year award, Payton Pritchard was the last player to win it. He went against Malik Beasley, who was playing for the Detroit Pistons at the time, and Ty Jerome, who was playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers. This year, Jerome played for the Memphis Grizzlies.

Pritchard had a nice season, as he averaged 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. He also shot nearly 41% from 3-point range. He had a strong season, and in the end, he played 80 games. He started in three of them, but he came off the bench in all of the others.

With his win, Pritchard became the Boston Celtics’ fifth winner. Kevin McHale became the second player in history to win the award, and he did it again the following year. Bobby Jones was the first winner, and he helped the Philadelphia 76ers win a championship. McHale went on to have two impressive seasons, and he helped the Celtics make the NBA Finals both times. The Celtics won it all the first time around, but they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers after that.

Bill Walton won the award right after McHale’s second, and the Celtics won another championship. Then, years later, Malcolm Brogdon won Sixth Man of the Year, and he averaged 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. He played 67 games and came off the bench in all of them.

Johnson Becomes Spurs’ Second Winner

As far as the Spurs, they now have two winners, as one of their greatest players won it back in 2008. Manu Ginóbili won it, and he averaged a career-high 19.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals.

Ginóbili had a successful career, and he played for the Spurs the entire time. He helped them win four championships, and he has a special place in the franchise’s history. Johnson is in great company, and after starting his career as a starter, he has been an excellent reserve for the Spurs.

On top of Ginóbili, there are other great names tied to the Sixth Man of the Year award. Players like Jason Terry, Jamal Crawford, James Harden, Lou Williams, and others received the honor over the years. In fact, Crawford and Williams both won the award three times during their careers. In Harden’s case, he took home the trophy in his third season.

During his time with the Thunder, the future Most Valuable Player was a reserve. Then, when he went to the Houston Rockets, he became their go-to guy. Looking at the winners, most of these players had successful careers, and with their scoring, they helped put their team in a position to succeed. This year shows that the Spurs are in good hands, and Johnson is doing his part to help them win.