Spurs’ Keldon Johnson Wins NBA Award on Wednesday

The NBA announced on Wednesday that Johnson earned the 2026 Sixth Man of the Year award. He also set the franchise record for the Spurs for having the most points off the bench in a single season with 1,081. He surpassed basketball icon Manu Ginobili, who had 927 points during the 2007-08 season.

Johnson and Ginobili are the only two players for the San Antonio franchise to win the award.

Overall, he had the second-most points and collected the second-most rebounds off the bench this season. According to Underdog NBA on X, he's tied at third place with the most 20-point games.

When the league made the announcement, Johnson couldn't help but be emotional. He was with his family and had tears in his eyes while his family celebrated.

He addressed Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O'Neal about his journey to prioritize the team during his appearance on ESPN's "Inside the NBA" on Wednesday to accept his award.

“Honestly, it just came down to wanting to be a part of something special here in San Antonio,” Johnson said. 

“At first, it was tough. I had to really ruin my ego and put the team first. After that, the sky was the limit. I feel like my teammates, [and] my coaches really allowed me to be myself, allowed me to bring that energy, each and every night. My hat goes off to them for allowing me to do that.”

This season, Johnson averaged 13.2 points and 5.4 rebounds on 51.9% shooting. It was a competitive season between him, Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Denver Nuggets guard Tim Hardaway Jr.