Keldon Johnson Embodies the Spurs’ Culture Perfectly

The uncertainty across the team’s various phases since Johnson was drafted in 2019 is what makes his role off the bench so significant. Three years ago, he was the team’s leading scorer. Now, he is the go-to guy for a spark off the bench on the second-best team in the NBA. 

Making the Switch

Asking a 24-year-old first-round pick to take a backseat after winning a gold medal in the Olympics and averaging 22 points per game is no easy task.

Johnson admits that the initial acceptance to come off the bench (in 2024) had its challenges. 

“In that moment, I had to take a hard look in the mirror. And man, I just got embarrassed,” he admitted in The Players’ Tribune. 

After starting the previous three straight seasons, Johnson started just 27 of 69 games in 2023-24. Johnson believed he had let himself and his teammates down by not showing up in the way the team needed him to as the primary option.

“I knew that I could either be the person who tries to fight the change, who makes it about them and their ego, and tries to do everything their way (which never really works). Or, I could trust the process. And the Spurs never gave me a reason not to trust it.”

Spurs Sixth Man History

Perhaps no one understands Keldon’s sacrifice better than Manu Ginobili, who won the award in 2008. The four-time NBA Champion averaged 13.2 points off the bench and talked about the difficulties of the relegation.

“Going to the bench, having a different role kind of hurts your ego in the beginning. [But] if you really believe that you are contributing to make the team better…it changes everything,” Ginobili said back in 2018.  “At the beginning, it was a tough one, but once you get that ego thing out of the middle, I understood that was my role. That it was going to be better for the team.”

The Spurs brought the Hall of Famer off the bench to bolster the reserves group. Manu’s teammates and coaches recognized the impact of his unselfishness on the team’s dominance. 

At his jersey retirement, Tony Parker called him the definition of Spurs basketball for always putting his ego last. Gregg Popovich believed that without Ginobili’s sacrifice, the Spurs wouldn’t have won the four championships that they did together. According to Popovich, moving Ginobili to the bench was the most important decision of their championship era.

Even seven years post-retirement, Manu is still a supporter of the Spurs. He spends time around the facility and has proudly watched Johnson’s journey evolve.

“It’s been a lot of fun to see that progress from a young prospect that could score, to now being a key contributor to a team that wants to win a championship. That’s not easy to do, and he did it amazingly.”

Johnson’s Impactful Presence

Similarly to Ginobili, Johnson started the first four years of his career before leading the second unit. In both of their second seasons coming off the bench, they won Sixth Man of the Year. Johnson also joins Ginobili as just the third Sixth Man of the Year winner with Olympic gold, earned in Tokyo 2021.

Just as Ginobili was graciously lauded for being an incredible teammate, Johnson has received the same praise. His positive energy and encouraging personality make him the team’s unofficial vibe booster. Johnson constantly cracks jokes during teammates’ interviews and elevates the mood of those around him.

“He keeps us uplifted,” said Spurs forward Julian Champagnie. “He keeps the vibes going in the locker room, plane, anywhere we go… To other people it may not seem like a lot but to us, it is. That’s our team chemistry right there.”

His upbeat nature becomes more inspiring when he revealed that this year was “probably one of the toughest years of my life.” Johnson disclosed that his grandfather has been battling cancer behind the scenes.

Despite carrying the emotional toll of his grandfather fighting cancer, no one could tell. His parents weren’t around much due to caring for his grandfather, but Johnson never showed it. He leaned on the organization and his teammates to get him through, just as they rely on him.

Leaving a Mark

The Spurs’ stellar record of 62-20 this season had his teammates campaigning for him as Sixth Man of the Year. Wembanyama highlighted how Johnson’s job is often one that is overlooked.

“He has sacrificed more than anybody on this team…A lot of the work he does is unseen. He has a role that nobody else wants to do… and nobody can do.”

His infectious energy on the court tends to permeate throughout the team, reigniting their engines and upping their intensity. Johnson’s ability to shift the momentum of a game when the starters don’t have it going has been pivotal in certain stretches.

“There’s been a lot of basketball games that we were in because of him,” shared rookie Carter Bryant. “We were kind of struggling and then you throw him in there and he’s just like a wrecking ball. He makes one hard play and everybody kind of follows suit.”

In addition to his performance on the basketball floor, Johnson has formed tight bonds with his teammates. Regardless of what they are going through, the 26-year-old makes it a point to be there for them.

“I love Keldon. He’s like a big brother to me,” Bryant added of their relationship. “He’s the first one to call me after a great game; he’s the first one to call me after I play terribly. Good, bad, or indifferent he’s the first one to give me a hug on the court.”

Those small moments explain why he means so much.

Seeing the Bigger Picture

There is a big adjustment that comes with giving up a starting spot.

Since Wembanyama’s arrival in 2023, the franchise has placed the keys in his hands. It is no longer Johnson’s team. 

Bench players often struggle to find rhythm compared to starters. Furthermore, coming off the bench may hinder his All-Star chances. It could also cost him a more lucrative contract. But he knows what the potential benefits are for the team if they continue on their uphill trajectory.

Luckily for the Alamo City, Johnson encapsulates the Spurs’ standard. It’s no surprise that upon earning the Sixth Man of the Year award, he immediately shifted the spotlight from himself to those who helped him win it.

“This is for our whole organization because without them this wouldn’t be possible. It’s a lot of people who sacrificed to put me in the position to be able to go out there and perform each and every night at the highest level and be myself.”

Johnson doesn’t take for granted the support and love he has from the entire organization. That’s why he was so overcome with emotion when the team surprised him at the practice facility to congratulate him. 

“I bought into my role, and I put my best foot forward each and every night,” Johnson said.

“Whatever I had to do to be the best version of myself, I did it. And I feel like this season has been a testament to that.”

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