Keldon Johnson Breaks Down After Winning NBA Sixth Man Of The Year Award

Keldon Johnson (Image Credits: Imagn)

Keldon Johnson Breaks Down After Winning NBA Sixth Man Of The Year Award

Originally posted on Total Pro Sports | By Kenny Nosay | Last updated Apr 23, 2026 2:19 AM ET

It’s not just Victor Wembanyama who took home an individual award this season for the San Antonio Spurs. We can now add Keldon Johnson to the list, as he was just named the league’s Sixth Man of the Year.

There was a time when Johnson was projected to become a long-time starter for the Spurs. In his first five seasons with the team, he started 232 out of a possible 293 games. Then, the shift to a bench role began in the 2024-2025 season. He did it again this year, playing all 82 games as San Antonio’s top scorer off the bench.

And due to his sacrifice, when Keldon Johnson was named the league’s Sixth Man of the Year, he broke down in front of his family.

Keldon Johnson emotional after winning 6MOTY

(h/t @Fullcourtpass) pic.twitter.com/sC0trEfR2O
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) April 22, 2026

Genuine reaction from the 26-year-old. He sacrificed a lot to win the first major award of his NBA career. The Spurs are banking that he will become the next Manu Ginobili for them, and by the looks of it, Johnson’s on the way.

Keldon Johnson Received a Controversial Vote From One Analyst

The NBA’s end-of-season awards have mostly been influenced by recency bias. For much of the season, Miami Heat’s Jaime Jaquez was projected to win it. However, with the Heat getting booted out in the play-in, quite a few voters presumably shifted their votes to Johnson.

At least one basketball analyst openly admitted that he cast his vote for Keldon Johnson after Miami’s play-in fumble. With two awards given to the young guys from San Antonio, it looks like a new dynasty is on the way. They have the right pieces to contend for a title, not just now but for the next few years, too. And Johnson will play a huge part in their aspirations to win a title.

This article first appeared on Total Pro Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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