According to Michael C. Wright of ESPN, San Antonio Spurs small forward Keldon Johnson of Chesterfield, Virginia was named the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award on Wednesday. Johnson is the second Spurs player to win a major individual award this week. He follows center Victor Wembanyama of Le Chesnay, France, who won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year on Monday.
Johnson averaged 13.2 points per game, 5.4 rebounds per game and 1.4 assists per game in 82 games. He had a field goal percentage of .519, three point percentage of .363 and free throw percentage of .794.
It should be noted that Johnson did not start a single game for the Spurs. Yet, he was still able to reach 20 points in 13 Spurs games this season. Johnson’s most memorable game came on January 7 when he had 27 points in a 107-91 Spurs win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Johnson is the second Spurs player all-time to win the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award. The first was Manu Ginobili of Bahia Blanca, Argentina, who was honoured in 2008. Johnson and Ginobili have something else in common. They are Olympic gold medalists from the past. Ginobili won gold for Argentina at the 2004 Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, and Johnson won gold for the United States at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021.
Johnson’s focus at this time is the NBA Playoffs. In two postseason games, he has 10 points and 11 rebounds. The Spurs are tied at one game apiece in their best out of seven series with the Portland Trail Blazers.
