SAN ANTONIO -- Spurs forward Keldon Johnson made the most of the club's decision to move him to the bench two seasons ago, earning the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award, the league announced Wednesday.
Johnson became the first Spur in franchise history to score at least 1,000 points off the bench in a season for an organization that produced a Hall of Fame sixth man in Manu Ginobili, the only other San Antonio player to win the award. Johnson's 1,081 points off the bench this season ranked as the second most in the NBA.
"I feel like it's just a testament to the hard work, the dedication that I've had to myself, to doing what I love to do," Johnson told ESPN. "It hasn't always been easy. But it never deterred me, never steered me away. I just found a way to be the best Keldon Johnson each and every day. Being Sixth Man of the Year is just a testament to that, to my supporting cast, to the Spurs and how much they've trusted and believed in me."
Miami's Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Denver's Tim Hardaway Jr. were the other finalists. Jaquez led all reserves in scoring and double-digit games, and Hardaway led all reserves with 205 3-pointers and was fourth in scoring.