Keldon Johnson Becomes UK’s Second NBA Sixth Man of the Year
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Keldon Johnson became the second Kentucky men’s basketball product to earn Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year honors when he captured the distinction on Wednesday. Johnson played for the Cats in 2018-19 and was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs at No. 29 overall, making him the longest-tenured player currently in the Spurs franchise.
Johnson edged out Miami’s Jamie Jaquez Jr., and Denver’s Tim Hardaway Jr. for the award. Johnson earned 404 total votes, including 63 first-place votes. Jacquez Jr. posted 331 points and 34 first-place tallies. Hardaway Jr. finished in third with no first-place votes and 45 total votes.
The 6-foot-5 forward from South Hill, Virginia, averaged 13.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game off the bench. After starting 232 games in his career, Johnson did not make a single start in 2025-26. He shot a career-best 51.9% from the field, 36.3% from distance and 79.4% from the line.
Johnson served as a spark for the 62-20 Spurs, the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. He led the league with 1,081 total points off the bench this season and the Spurs ranked ninth in the league with 41.4 points per game off the bench.
He ranked fifth overall in scoring for the season for the Spurs, despite averaging just 23.3 minutes per game. He was the third leading rebounder. Johnson topped double-figure scoring in 58 games, which is 70.7% of the games in which he appeared.
Johnson joins teammate and close friend Tyler Herro as the only Wildcats to take home NBA Sixth Man of the Year honors. Herro captured the award in 2022.
Johnson played just one season for the Wildcats in 2017-18. He was selected as the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year by the league’s coaches after averaging 13.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. He was a three-time SEC Freshman of the Week pick and started 36 of 37 games for an Elite Eight squad. Johnson topped double-figure scoring in 26 games and had seven outings with 20 or more.
This marks the second major honor this season for the Wildcats. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander took home NBA Clutch Player of the Year on Tuesday. Kentucky’s NBA players have racked up numerous honors over the years and have won at least one major award every year since 2021. A complete list of Wildcats awards in the NBA:
Most Valuable Player
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2025)
Rookie of the Year
Karl-Anthony Towns (2016)
Most Improved Player
Julius Randle (2021)
Tyrese Maxey (2024)
Sixth Man of the Year
Tyler Herro (2022)
Keldon Johnson (2026)
Clutch Player of the Year
De’Aaron Fox (2023)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2026)
Coach of the Year
Pat Riley (1990, 1993, 1997)
Dwane Casey (2018)
Executive of the Year
Pat Riley (2011)
Social Justice Champion
Karl-Anthony Towns (2024)
Sportsmanship Award
Tyrese Maxey (2024)
Community Assist Award
John Wall (2016)
Devin Booker (2021)
Offseason Community Assist Award
DeMarcus Cousins (2017)
Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award
Dan Issel (1985)
All-Star Game MVP
Adrian Smith (1966)
Anthony Davis (2017)
For the latest on the Kentucky men’s basketball team, follow @KentuckyMBB on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and on the web at UKathletics.com.
