Keldon Johnson Crowned NBA Sixth Man of the Year: Spurs’ Rising Star Fuels Playoff Charge

San Antonio—San Antonio Spurs swingman Keldon Johnson has capped a record-setting regular season by winning the 2025-26 Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year award, then immediately parlayed that momentum into a string of clutch playoff performances that now have the Spurs knotted 1-1 with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. Johnson’s résumé off the bench was historic. He logged action in all 82 games without a single start, pouring in a franchise-record 1,081 points as a reserve—becoming the first Spur ever, and only the second NBA player in the past decade, to eclipse the 1,000-point mark strictly in a sixth-man role. His relentless energy translated to the postseason, where the former Kentucky standout erupted for 21 points in San Antonio’s pivotal Game 5 victory over Minnesota and followed with 18 and 24 points, respectively, in the opening two games against Oklahoma City. Beyond the raw scoring, Johnson’s two-way spark is reshaping San Antonio’s rotation. Coach Mitch Johnson (no relation) deploys the 6-6 forward as an instant-offense weapon next to Victor Wembanyama, forcing opponents to pick their poison between closing out on Johnson’s improved 39.2 percent three-point stroke or collapsing on Wembanyama inside. The result: San Antonio’s bench owns a +8.7 net rating this postseason, tops among the four teams still alive. Johnson credits a mid-season film-room overhaul for the leap. “I studied how Manu [Ginóbili] attacked second units—change of pace, side-pick-and-rolls, drawing fouls,” he told reporters after accepting the John Havlicek Trophy. “Once I embraced the role, everything opened up for me.” The Spurs’ front office is reaping the rewards of last summer’s foresight. When San Antonio acquired De’Aaron Fox, many speculated Johnson would be trade bait. Instead, the franchise doubled down on depth, trusting the 24-year-old to anchor the second group. He responded with career highs in PER (19.6) and true-shooting percentage (60.5), all while shouldering the league’s largest bench usage rate (28.4%). Now comes the litmus test: can Johnson’s punch swing a series featuring MVP finalist Shai Gilgeous-Alexander? With Game 3 slated for Saturday night at Frost Bank Center—where the Spurs are 6-0 this postseason—Johnson’s matchup versus OKC’s versatile wing rotation looms large. If he continues to win those non-Wembanyama minutes, San Antonio’s path back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014 suddenly looks far less improbable. Key search phrases to watch: “Keldon Johnson Sixth Man of the Year,” “Keldon Johnson playoff stats,” “Spurs vs Thunder Western Conference Finals,” and “Spurs bench scoring.”