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NBA
Keldon Johnson wins NBA Sixth Man of the Year after breaking Manu Ginóbili's Spurs record for bench points
TL;DR
Keldon Johnson has been awarded the 2025-26 NBA Sixth Man of the Year, breaking Manu Ginóbili's Spurs record for bench points. He joins teammate Victor Wembanyama, who won the Defensive Player of the Year award earlier this week.
Key points
- Keldon Johnson won the 2025-26 NBA Sixth Man of the Year award
- He broke Manu Ginóbili's Spurs record for bench points
- Victor Wembanyama won the Defensive Player of the Year award
- Johnson was the No. 29 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft
- He averaged 22 points per game in his fourth season
Keldon JohnsonVictor WembanyamaSan Antonio SpursNBA
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Keldon Johnson has won the 2025-26 Sixth Man of the Year award, the NBA announced Wednesday. Johnson is the second major award winner for the Spurs this season, joining Victor Wembanyama, who won Defensive Player of the Year unanimously on Monday. Though Wembanyama's victory has seemingly been destined since before he reached the NBA, Johnson's path to the Sixth Man of the Year award took several unexpected turns.
Johnson was the No. 29 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and quickly emerged as a key player for San Antonio. He was a full-time starter by his second season and won a gold medal playing for Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics after that. By his fourth season, he averaged 22 points per game, but did so for a Spurs team going nowhere.
That changed when the Spurs won the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, landing Wembanyama. San Antonio's long-term plans shifted from there and, midway through the 2023-24 season, then-Spurs coach Gregg Popovich approached Johnson about a move to the bench.
Johnson initially didn't take it well. "I couldn't wrap my head around it," he explained in a recent essay for The Player's Tribune. "And ultimately, I didn't take it well. I sulked. I let the outside noise affect my play. I didn't present the best version of myself as I was coming off the bench for the rest of that season. And I knew that I was much better than that."
A global media panel of 100 voters selected the winner of the 2025-26 Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award.
Q&A
What record did Keldon Johnson break to win Sixth Man of the Year?
Keldon Johnson broke Manu Ginóbili's record for bench points in Spurs history.
Who are the other major award winners for the Spurs this season?
Victor Wembanyama won the Defensive Player of the Year award, making him the other major award winner for the Spurs this season.
How did Keldon Johnson's career progress before winning Sixth Man of the Year?
Keldon Johnson was the No. 29 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, became a full-time starter by his second season, and averaged 22 points per game by his fourth season.