WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.399 Welcome back to the Deep Dive. Today, we're turning 00:00:03.399 --> 00:00:05.780 our attention away from the spotlight, away from 00:00:05.780 --> 00:00:07.639 the starting five. I want you to picture it. 00:00:07.759 --> 00:00:10.960 It's about, you know, six, maybe seven minutes 00:00:10.960 --> 00:00:13.199 into the first quarter of a big NBA game. The 00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:15.960 first time out just hit. Exactly. The starters 00:00:15.960 --> 00:00:17.859 are already sweating. The game plan is kind of 00:00:17.859 --> 00:00:19.980 unfolding. And there's this one player on the 00:00:19.980 --> 00:00:22.460 bench. He's been watching it. I mean, really 00:00:22.460 --> 00:00:25.320 watching every single play like a film session. 00:00:25.460 --> 00:00:28.019 And you see him get the nod from the coach. He 00:00:28.019 --> 00:00:30.760 pulls off the warm ups, walks over to the scorer's 00:00:30.760 --> 00:00:33.380 table. It's a moment that, you know, usually 00:00:33.380 --> 00:00:35.700 gets lost in the arena shuffle. Totally. People 00:00:35.700 --> 00:00:37.479 are getting food. They're checking their phones. 00:00:37.579 --> 00:00:40.920 But that specific moment, that walk from the 00:00:40.920 --> 00:00:44.119 bench to the court. That's where our deep dive 00:00:44.119 --> 00:00:47.359 begins today, because sometimes that's where 00:00:47.359 --> 00:00:50.229 the entire game or even a championship. really 00:00:50.229 --> 00:00:53.090 pivots it's the ultimate paradox in sports isn't 00:00:53.090 --> 00:00:55.270 it the starting lineup gets all the fanfare the 00:00:55.270 --> 00:00:57.590 big introductions the fire cannons all of it 00:00:57.590 --> 00:01:00.490 but the guy who comes in after them he might 00:01:00.490 --> 00:01:02.070 be the one who's on the floor when the final 00:01:02.070 --> 00:01:05.650 buzzer sounds that's the one the sixth man The 00:01:05.650 --> 00:01:08.230 player who wasn't considered essential for the 00:01:08.230 --> 00:01:10.409 opening tip, but is absolutely critical for the 00:01:10.409 --> 00:01:12.969 final five minutes. It's a role that has I mean, 00:01:12.969 --> 00:01:15.170 it has totally transformed over the decades. 00:01:15.430 --> 00:01:17.569 It went from being, you know, maybe a slight 00:01:17.569 --> 00:01:20.310 demotion to being a full on strategic weapon. 00:01:20.370 --> 00:01:22.769 A weapon is the perfect word for it. And that's 00:01:22.769 --> 00:01:25.870 what we're doing today. We are conducting a let's 00:01:25.870 --> 00:01:29.000 call it a full forensic audit. of the NBA Sixth 00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:30.680 Man of the Year Award. You'll see it in the box 00:01:30.680 --> 00:01:33.939 scores as 6MOY. Right. And we're not just, you 00:01:33.939 --> 00:01:35.540 know, going to read you Wikipedia lists. We've 00:01:35.540 --> 00:01:38.120 got a mountain of source material here. We're 00:01:38.120 --> 00:01:41.799 talking voting data, historical records from 00:01:41.799 --> 00:01:45.239 the awards creation back in the early 80s, all 00:01:45.239 --> 00:01:48.859 the way through the just completed 2024 -25 season. 00:01:49.000 --> 00:01:50.900 We've got the player stats, the team records, 00:01:51.120 --> 00:01:53.280 even some of the, you know, the quirks and the 00:01:53.280 --> 00:01:55.239 oddities in the voting that have popped up over 00:01:55.239 --> 00:01:57.719 the years. Our mission today. is to trace that 00:01:57.719 --> 00:02:00.299 evolution you mentioned because the profile of 00:02:00.299 --> 00:02:03.120 the winner has changed so dramatically it started 00:02:03.120 --> 00:02:05.519 out as an award for like defensive specialists 00:02:05.519 --> 00:02:08.580 and glue guys then it morphed into this trophy 00:02:08.580 --> 00:02:12.819 for instant offense scoring machines and now 00:02:12.819 --> 00:02:14.960 in the modern game it feels like it's becoming 00:02:14.960 --> 00:02:17.479 something else entirely and we have to get into 00:02:17.479 --> 00:02:19.900 the legends who define the role Because when 00:02:19.900 --> 00:02:21.939 you look at the names in these documents, we're 00:02:21.939 --> 00:02:24.960 talking Kevin McHale, Bill Walton, James Harden, 00:02:24.960 --> 00:02:27.939 Manu Ginobili, you realize this isn't a consolation 00:02:27.939 --> 00:02:30.379 prize. Not at all. It's the award for the guy 00:02:30.379 --> 00:02:33.080 who finishes the job, even if he didn't start 00:02:33.080 --> 00:02:35.240 it. I love that framing. It's perfect. Okay, 00:02:35.300 --> 00:02:36.840 so let's start at the very beginning. Ground 00:02:36.840 --> 00:02:39.939 zero. The league didn't always have this award 00:02:39.939 --> 00:02:43.319 for, what, 30 plus years? The bench was just... 00:02:43.740 --> 00:02:45.740 The bench. Right. It's where you went if you 00:02:45.740 --> 00:02:48.000 were in foul trouble or if you were tired or, 00:02:48.120 --> 00:02:50.300 you know, to be blunt, if you just weren't as 00:02:50.300 --> 00:02:52.139 good as the starters. So what was the turning 00:02:52.139 --> 00:02:55.620 point? When did the NBA formally decide, OK, 00:02:55.699 --> 00:02:58.460 we need to recognize the best player coming off 00:02:58.460 --> 00:03:01.539 the bench? You have to go back to the 1982 -83 00:03:01.539 --> 00:03:03.800 NBA season. That's the official birth date of 00:03:03.800 --> 00:03:06.360 the award. And the timing, I think, is really 00:03:06.360 --> 00:03:09.219 key to understanding the why. The early 80s was 00:03:09.219 --> 00:03:12.729 this. This inflection point for the league. The 00:03:12.729 --> 00:03:15.289 ABA merger was still relatively fresh, so the 00:03:15.289 --> 00:03:18.150 talent pool was deeper than ever. You had Bird 00:03:18.150 --> 00:03:20.870 and Magic bringing in this new era of stardom. 00:03:21.150 --> 00:03:23.729 And coaching strategy was getting a lot more 00:03:23.729 --> 00:03:26.490 sophisticated. It's not just roll the ball out 00:03:26.490 --> 00:03:28.569 and let the best guys play anymore. Not at all. 00:03:29.050 --> 00:03:31.330 Coaches were starting to understand that staggering 00:03:31.330 --> 00:03:33.770 minutes, having a real rotation, wasn't just 00:03:33.770 --> 00:03:36.090 about managing fatigue. It was about applying 00:03:36.090 --> 00:03:38.490 constant pressure on your opponent for a full 00:03:38.490 --> 00:03:41.349 48 minutes. You never wanted to drop off. So 00:03:41.349 --> 00:03:44.069 you needed a legitimate talent, a weapon, ready 00:03:44.069 --> 00:03:46.189 to come in and keep that pressure on. Precisely. 00:03:46.189 --> 00:03:48.689 And so the award was created. Now, the official 00:03:48.689 --> 00:03:51.259 criteria... On paper, it's pretty straightforward. 00:03:51.900 --> 00:03:54.139 It's for the league's best performing player 00:03:54.139 --> 00:03:56.400 who comes off the bench as a substitute. But 00:03:56.400 --> 00:03:58.520 there has to be a catch, right? To stop teams 00:03:58.520 --> 00:04:01.139 from gaming the system. What stops a coach from 00:04:01.139 --> 00:04:03.180 having his best player come off the bench for 00:04:03.180 --> 00:04:05.879 one game just to be eligible? There is a catch, 00:04:05.939 --> 00:04:08.419 and it's a very strict mathematical one. A gatekeeper 00:04:08.419 --> 00:04:10.699 rule, basically. I was looking at this in our 00:04:10.699 --> 00:04:13.979 source notes. It all comes down to a simple ratio. 00:04:14.319 --> 00:04:17.569 It's a math problem. To be eligible for the Sixth 00:04:17.569 --> 00:04:19.949 Man of the Year award, a player must come off 00:04:19.949 --> 00:04:22.649 the bench in more games than he starts. It's 00:04:22.649 --> 00:04:25.490 that simple. So in a standard 82 -game season, 00:04:25.709 --> 00:04:28.350 you need to come off the bench for at least 42 00:04:28.350 --> 00:04:31.870 of them. At least. The moment you start that 00:04:31.870 --> 00:04:34.189 40 -second game, you're out. You're no longer 00:04:34.189 --> 00:04:35.970 eligible, even if you come off the bench for 00:04:35.970 --> 00:04:38.910 the other 40. Which is a brilliant little rule, 00:04:39.029 --> 00:04:41.110 because it forces a real commitment to the rule. 00:04:41.470 --> 00:04:43.810 We see this all the time. A key starter gets 00:04:43.810 --> 00:04:47.170 injured for, say, a month. The team's sixth man 00:04:47.170 --> 00:04:49.110 steps into the starting lineup. And he plays 00:04:49.110 --> 00:04:52.029 great. He puts up huge numbers. He does. He might 00:04:52.029 --> 00:04:53.790 even look like the frontrunner for the award. 00:04:54.189 --> 00:04:57.009 But if that injury to the starter lasts too long, 00:04:57.089 --> 00:04:58.889 and he ends up starting more games than he comes 00:04:58.889 --> 00:05:02.089 off the bench, he accidentally disqualifies himself. 00:05:02.310 --> 00:05:05.089 It's happened. And it's tough. But it preserves 00:05:05.089 --> 00:05:08.029 the spirit of the award. It's for someone whose 00:05:08.029 --> 00:05:10.649 primary function, whose identity for that season 00:05:10.649 --> 00:05:13.269 is being the anchor of that second unit, not 00:05:13.269 --> 00:05:15.670 just a temporary starter. Now, before we dive 00:05:15.670 --> 00:05:17.209 into the winners, let's talk about the trophy 00:05:17.209 --> 00:05:19.490 itself, because it wasn't always just a generic 00:05:19.490 --> 00:05:22.149 trophy. The league recently made a change that 00:05:22.149 --> 00:05:25.269 I think is just perfect. Oh, absolutely. As of 00:05:25.269 --> 00:05:29.290 the 2022 -23 season, the winner receives the 00:05:29.290 --> 00:05:33.189 John Havlicek trophy. Hondo. Yeah. The legendary 00:05:33.189 --> 00:05:36.199 Celtic. It's such a fitting name. You couldn't 00:05:36.199 --> 00:05:38.240 pick a better namesake. I mean, John Havlicek, 00:05:38.300 --> 00:05:40.540 you're talking about an eight -time NBA champion, 00:05:40.779 --> 00:05:44.259 a Finals MVP, a Hall of Famer. But more than 00:05:44.259 --> 00:05:47.279 that, he basically invented the modern concept 00:05:47.279 --> 00:05:49.660 of the super sub back in the 60s. He was good 00:05:49.660 --> 00:05:51.540 enough to start on any team in the league. He 00:05:51.540 --> 00:05:54.420 was an all -star every year. But his coach, the 00:05:54.420 --> 00:05:56.740 legendary Red Auerbach, knew the Celtics were 00:05:56.740 --> 00:05:58.839 more dangerous with Havlicek's energy coming 00:05:58.839 --> 00:06:00.959 off the bench to overwhelm the opponent's second 00:06:00.959 --> 00:06:03.300 unit. And his stamina was the stuff of legend, 00:06:03.379 --> 00:06:05.360 wasn't it? The guy just never got tired. He was 00:06:05.360 --> 00:06:07.660 a machine. He would just run and run and run. 00:06:07.779 --> 00:06:11.139 So by naming the trophy after Havlicek, the NBA 00:06:11.139 --> 00:06:14.279 is sending a powerful message. It's not the best 00:06:14.279 --> 00:06:17.860 backup award. Exactly. It's the Havlicek. It 00:06:17.860 --> 00:06:20.079 says this is a role of honor, a strategic position. 00:06:20.399 --> 00:06:23.480 It's not a demotion. And for a professional athlete's 00:06:23.480 --> 00:06:26.439 ego, you know, that distinction matters. The 00:06:26.439 --> 00:06:28.860 ego part is a huge piece of this puzzle. And 00:06:28.860 --> 00:06:31.019 we'll definitely circle back to that. But first. 00:06:31.670 --> 00:06:34.209 Let's get into the nitty gritty, the mechanics 00:06:34.209 --> 00:06:37.329 of the vote. How is the winner actually chosen? 00:06:37.610 --> 00:06:39.850 Well, thankfully, it's not a fan vote on social 00:06:39.850 --> 00:06:41.910 media or anything like that. Could you imagine 00:06:41.910 --> 00:06:44.870 the chaos? It would be a disaster. No, it's decided 00:06:44.870 --> 00:06:48.250 by a panel of sports writers and broadcasters, 00:06:48.310 --> 00:06:51.209 people who cover the league every day from all 00:06:51.209 --> 00:06:53.589 across the United States and Canada. OK, so it's 00:06:53.589 --> 00:06:56.529 the media, but it's not as simple as everyone 00:06:56.529 --> 00:06:59.069 picks one guy. Right. I saw the breakdown of 00:06:59.069 --> 00:07:01.649 the point system. Correct. It's a weighted ballot, 00:07:01.829 --> 00:07:04.009 which is really important. Each voter selects 00:07:04.009 --> 00:07:06.050 a first place, a second place, and a third place 00:07:06.050 --> 00:07:07.949 candidate. And the points are different for each 00:07:07.949 --> 00:07:10.430 spot. Right. A first place vote gets you five 00:07:10.430 --> 00:07:13.829 points. Second place is worth three points. And 00:07:13.829 --> 00:07:16.810 a third place vote gets you one point. So let's 00:07:16.810 --> 00:07:19.550 think about what that means in practice. You 00:07:19.550 --> 00:07:22.259 could have a player who is, I don't know. Super 00:07:22.259 --> 00:07:25.699 flashy. A high -volume scorer who doesn't play 00:07:25.699 --> 00:07:28.500 a lick of defense. A very polarizing player. 00:07:28.740 --> 00:07:31.600 Exactly. Maybe half the voters love him, so they 00:07:31.600 --> 00:07:33.500 put him first on their ballot. He gets a bunch 00:07:33.500 --> 00:07:35.459 of those five -point votes. But the other half 00:07:35.459 --> 00:07:38.199 of the voters can't stand his game and leave 00:07:38.199 --> 00:07:41.560 him off their ballot entirely. Meanwhile, there 00:07:41.560 --> 00:07:44.639 might be another guy. A solid two -way player. 00:07:45.019 --> 00:07:47.720 Maybe not as spectacular, but universally respected. 00:07:48.569 --> 00:07:50.610 He doesn't get as many first place votes. But 00:07:50.610 --> 00:07:52.569 everybody puts him second or third. Exactly. 00:07:52.769 --> 00:07:55.490 He just quietly racks up all those three point 00:07:55.490 --> 00:07:57.829 and one point votes from across the entire panel. 00:07:58.189 --> 00:08:00.990 And under the system, the winner is the player 00:08:00.990 --> 00:08:03.269 with the highest total point score, regardless 00:08:03.269 --> 00:08:05.310 of who got the most first place vote. I actually 00:08:05.310 --> 00:08:07.529 really like that. It rewards the consensus candidate 00:08:07.529 --> 00:08:10.350 over the divisive one. It smooths out the biases. 00:08:10.529 --> 00:08:12.110 It does. It prevents a guy from winning just 00:08:12.110 --> 00:08:14.689 because he plays in a huge media market. If the 00:08:14.689 --> 00:08:16.990 writers in the smaller markets all think someone 00:08:16.990 --> 00:08:19.519 else was better. It finds the calming ground. 00:08:19.779 --> 00:08:22.500 And that system was put to the test right away. 00:08:22.540 --> 00:08:25.819 That very first year, 1982 -83, the player they 00:08:25.819 --> 00:08:28.519 chose as the inaugural winner. I mean, he set 00:08:28.519 --> 00:08:31.819 an incredibly high bar for what this award was 00:08:31.819 --> 00:08:33.320 supposed to represent. They could not have picked 00:08:33.320 --> 00:08:35.080 a better prototype. We're talking about Bobby 00:08:35.080 --> 00:08:37.740 Jones of the Philadelphia 76ers. The Secretary 00:08:37.740 --> 00:08:40.580 of Defense. That's him. And what's so fascinating 00:08:40.580 --> 00:08:43.220 is that he is the complete opposite of what... 00:08:43.399 --> 00:08:46.139 Many fans today think a sixth man is. Right. 00:08:46.200 --> 00:08:48.019 If you ask a fan now, they'll say, oh, it's the 00:08:48.019 --> 00:08:50.259 guard who comes in and shoots a lot. Instant 00:08:50.259 --> 00:08:53.639 offense. A microwave scorer. Obby Jones was not 00:08:53.639 --> 00:08:56.279 that guy. Not even close. He was a defensive 00:08:56.279 --> 00:08:59.500 mastermind, an elite, long, versatile forward, 00:08:59.759 --> 00:09:02.620 a future Hall of Famer. And he was playing on 00:09:02.620 --> 00:09:06.690 a Sixers team that was, I mean, just. That was 00:09:06.690 --> 00:09:09.450 the team with Julius Irving, Dr. J. Dr. J, Moses 00:09:09.450 --> 00:09:12.269 Malone, who was the MVP that year, Maurice Cheeks, 00:09:12.389 --> 00:09:15.049 Andrew Toney. They were a juggernaut on a mission 00:09:15.049 --> 00:09:16.690 to win a championship. And they did win it that 00:09:16.690 --> 00:09:18.850 year. The famous faux faux faux prediction from 00:09:18.850 --> 00:09:21.870 Moses Malone. That's the one. He predicted they'd 00:09:21.870 --> 00:09:24.409 sweep the entire playoffs. They only lost one 00:09:24.409 --> 00:09:27.129 game. And Bobby Jones was a linchpin for that 00:09:27.129 --> 00:09:28.950 team. He didn't come off the bench because he 00:09:28.950 --> 00:09:31.029 wasn't good enough to start. He came off the 00:09:31.029 --> 00:09:33.070 bench because their coach, Billy Cunningham, 00:09:33.190 --> 00:09:35.929 had a brilliant strategy. What was it? He saved 00:09:35.929 --> 00:09:38.429 his best defensive weapon. He'd let the game 00:09:38.429 --> 00:09:41.350 start. And then he'd unleash Bobby Jones with 00:09:41.350 --> 00:09:44.389 fresh legs to go lock down the other team's best 00:09:44.389 --> 00:09:46.490 scorer right when they were starting to get tired. 00:09:46.690 --> 00:09:49.970 He was the ultimate chess piece. So the award 00:09:49.970 --> 00:09:53.029 is born with this identity of defense, of team 00:09:53.029 --> 00:09:56.149 first sacrifice, of being a key part of a championship 00:09:56.149 --> 00:09:59.179 team. And being a Hall of Famer. it instantly 00:09:59.179 --> 00:10:01.740 legitimized the whole concept. It sent a message 00:10:01.740 --> 00:10:04.179 to the rest of the league. This award is for 00:10:04.179 --> 00:10:06.919 winners. It's not about padding your stats on 00:10:06.919 --> 00:10:09.139 a lottery team. It's about impacting winning 00:10:09.139 --> 00:10:11.559 at the highest level. But the stats part of it, 00:10:11.620 --> 00:10:15.080 over time, that's where this, what I call the 00:10:15.080 --> 00:10:16.679 minutes paradox comes from. Well, this is one 00:10:16.679 --> 00:10:18.559 of the biggest misconceptions about the award. 00:10:18.879 --> 00:10:22.960 I think the casual fan hears... And they automatically 00:10:22.960 --> 00:10:25.679 assume that means, you know, 18, maybe 20 minutes 00:10:25.679 --> 00:10:27.980 a game. You come in, you give the star a quick 00:10:27.980 --> 00:10:30.220 breather, and you sit back down. And for some 00:10:30.220 --> 00:10:32.639 role players, that's true. But for the winners 00:10:32.639 --> 00:10:36.039 of this award, the data tells a very, very different 00:10:36.039 --> 00:10:38.500 story. I was digging through the numbers for 00:10:38.500 --> 00:10:42.720 the 2008 -09 season. The winner was Jason Terry 00:10:42.720 --> 00:10:47.559 of the Dallas Mavericks. The Jet. I looked at 00:10:47.559 --> 00:10:50.360 his minutes per game average. for that season. 00:10:50.539 --> 00:10:52.980 And I genuinely thought it was a typo. I had 00:10:52.980 --> 00:10:55.440 to go look it up on a second source. It's a number 00:10:55.440 --> 00:10:57.019 that just doesn't compute with the term bench 00:10:57.019 --> 00:11:01.960 player. 33 .7 minutes per game. 33 .7. That is 00:11:01.960 --> 00:11:04.080 the all -time record for the highest minutes 00:11:04.080 --> 00:11:06.519 per game average for any six -man winner in the 00:11:06.519 --> 00:11:09.620 season they won. That's insane. There are perennial 00:11:09.620 --> 00:11:12.059 all -stars in today's NBA who don't play 34 minutes 00:11:12.059 --> 00:11:14.379 a game. He was playing more than most starters. 00:11:14.539 --> 00:11:17.100 He was a starter in everything but name. He just 00:11:17.100 --> 00:11:19.360 didn't participate in the opening tip -off. He 00:11:19.360 --> 00:11:21.100 was on the floor to close the first half, to 00:11:21.100 --> 00:11:22.919 start the second half, and he damn sure was on 00:11:22.919 --> 00:11:24.820 the floor for the entire fourth quarter. So the 00:11:24.820 --> 00:11:27.320 strategy there was what? Let him watch the first 00:11:27.320 --> 00:11:29.460 few minutes, see how the defense is playing, 00:11:29.639 --> 00:11:31.559 and then he checks in with a mental scouting 00:11:31.559 --> 00:11:33.759 report. That's exactly it. He was a basketball 00:11:33.759 --> 00:11:36.299 genius. He'd identify the weak defender, the 00:11:36.299 --> 00:11:39.200 mismatch. And then for the next 30 plus minutes, 00:11:39.379 --> 00:11:41.759 he would just surgically attack it. It really 00:11:41.759 --> 00:11:45.440 hammers home the point that in the NBA, starting 00:11:45.440 --> 00:11:49.580 is often ceremonial. Finishing is what's real. 00:11:49.720 --> 00:11:52.159 And Jason Terry is the poster child for that. 00:11:52.279 --> 00:11:54.419 The award doesn't care when you punch the clock. 00:11:54.460 --> 00:11:56.279 It cares about the impact you make while you're 00:11:56.279 --> 00:11:58.600 on the floor. Okay, so we've got the prototype 00:11:58.600 --> 00:12:01.379 in Bobby Jones, the paradox in Jason Carey. But 00:12:01.379 --> 00:12:04.299 as we continue to comb through this list of winners, 00:12:04.620 --> 00:12:07.919 just the sheer pedigree of the players is kind 00:12:07.919 --> 00:12:10.080 of staggering. It's not just good role players. 00:12:10.159 --> 00:12:12.360 No. We're talking about some of the absolute 00:12:12.360 --> 00:12:15.120 titans of basketball history. Yeah. The Hall 00:12:15.120 --> 00:12:17.480 of Fame club within the six -man fraternity. 00:12:17.940 --> 00:12:21.159 It's elite. It's a short list, but it's an incredibly 00:12:21.159 --> 00:12:23.940 powerful one. It gives the award a gravitas that, 00:12:23.980 --> 00:12:25.620 you know, maybe something like Most Improved 00:12:25.620 --> 00:12:27.980 Player doesn't always have. Let's run down the 00:12:27.980 --> 00:12:30.100 list of Hall of Famers who have a six -man trophy. 00:12:30.279 --> 00:12:31.940 We were talking about Bobby Jones, the first 00:12:31.940 --> 00:12:36.019 one. But right after him, in the mid-'80s, the 00:12:36.019 --> 00:12:39.139 Boston Celtics dynasty basically took over the 00:12:39.139 --> 00:12:41.340 award. You start with Kevin McHale. He won it 00:12:41.340 --> 00:12:45.159 back -to -back, 1983 -84 and 1984 -85. It's hard 00:12:45.159 --> 00:12:47.659 to even wrap your head around that. Kevin McHale, 00:12:47.720 --> 00:12:50.100 with his, you know, thousand different post moves 00:12:50.100 --> 00:12:52.620 in the torture chamber, he's on the NBA's top 00:12:52.620 --> 00:12:55.340 75 players of all time list. And he was a bench 00:12:55.340 --> 00:12:57.700 player. It was just unfair. Imagine you're the 00:12:57.700 --> 00:12:59.820 backup power forward for like the New Jersey 00:12:59.820 --> 00:13:02.799 Nets in 1984. You see Larry Bird take a seat 00:13:02.799 --> 00:13:04.320 and you think, OK, I can breathe for a second. 00:13:04.340 --> 00:13:06.679 And then Kevin McHale checks into the game. It's 00:13:06.679 --> 00:13:09.179 a nightmare. It was a luxury that only a team 00:13:09.179 --> 00:13:11.620 as stacked as those Celtics have. They could 00:13:11.620 --> 00:13:14.100 afford to bring a legitimate superstar off their 00:13:14.100 --> 00:13:16.080 bench. He eventually became a full time starter, 00:13:16.159 --> 00:13:18.600 of course. But those two seasons defined what 00:13:18.600 --> 00:13:21.159 a sixth starter could be. And staying with those 00:13:21.159 --> 00:13:25.870 Celtics the very next year. 1985 -86. Another 00:13:25.870 --> 00:13:28.549 Hall of Famer wins it for them. Bill Walton. 00:13:28.730 --> 00:13:30.809 Walton is such a special case. We need to put 00:13:30.809 --> 00:13:33.330 a pin in him because his story arc is one of 00:13:33.330 --> 00:13:35.669 the most unique in all of sports. But yes, he's 00:13:35.669 --> 00:13:37.850 on the list. Okay. Then you jump forward to the 00:13:37.850 --> 00:13:41.409 90s to another dynasty, the Chicago Bulls. And 00:13:41.409 --> 00:13:44.330 you get Tony Kukoc, the Croatian sensation. He 00:13:44.330 --> 00:13:48.330 won the award in 1995 -96 on the legendary 72 00:13:48.330 --> 00:13:52.259 -win Bulls team. The ultimate third banana. Behind 00:13:52.259 --> 00:13:54.820 Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, another Hall 00:13:54.820 --> 00:13:57.360 of Famer. A brilliant do -it -all point forward 00:13:57.360 --> 00:13:59.860 who sacrificed his own stats and glory for the 00:13:59.860 --> 00:14:02.059 team. And then you've got the modern standard 00:14:02.059 --> 00:14:04.299 bearer, the guy who is maybe the most beloved 00:14:04.299 --> 00:14:07.159 sixth man of all time. It has to be Manu Ginobili. 00:14:07.259 --> 00:14:09.659 From the San Antonio Spurs. Four -time champion, 00:14:09.860 --> 00:14:12.340 Olympic gold medalist, first ballot Hall of Famer. 00:14:12.340 --> 00:14:15.580 So that's the club. Jones, McHale, Walton, Kuko, 00:14:15.759 --> 00:14:18.460 Ginobili. These are not just stars. They're foundational 00:14:18.460 --> 00:14:20.960 figures in the history of the sport. But there's 00:14:20.960 --> 00:14:22.879 a subgroup within that list that I find even 00:14:22.879 --> 00:14:25.320 more incredible. The players who have won both 00:14:25.320 --> 00:14:27.340 the sixth man of the year and the league's most 00:14:27.340 --> 00:14:29.659 valuable player award. It seems like it should 00:14:29.659 --> 00:14:32.039 be impossible. They feel like mutually exclusive 00:14:32.039 --> 00:14:35.539 awards. MVP is for the undisputed number one 00:14:35.539 --> 00:14:38.460 guy, the alpha. Sixth man is for the ultimate 00:14:38.460 --> 00:14:41.519 supporting actor. And yet two players in the 00:14:41.519 --> 00:14:44.240 entire history of the NBA have won both trophies. 00:14:44.279 --> 00:14:47.019 Just two. Bill Walton, who we mentioned, and 00:14:47.019 --> 00:14:49.899 James Harden. And their career paths to achieving 00:14:49.899 --> 00:14:53.059 this are like perfect mirror images of each other. 00:14:53.159 --> 00:14:55.460 Completely opposite trajectories. It's fascinating. 00:14:55.720 --> 00:14:58.980 Let's start with Walton. His story is, you know, 00:14:59.019 --> 00:15:01.899 it's triumphant, but also tinged with the sadness 00:15:01.899 --> 00:15:04.840 of what could have been. In the late 70s, with 00:15:04.840 --> 00:15:06.980 the Portland Trailblazers, he was on top of the 00:15:06.980 --> 00:15:10.480 world. He was the league MVP in 1978, finals 00:15:10.480 --> 00:15:13.320 MVP. He was the best player alive. A revolutionary 00:15:13.320 --> 00:15:16.240 passing center. He was changing the game, but 00:15:16.240 --> 00:15:18.759 then his feet just, they just betrayed him. The 00:15:18.759 --> 00:15:21.120 chronic foot injuries. They derailed what could 00:15:21.120 --> 00:15:23.120 have been an all -time great career. They did. 00:15:23.259 --> 00:15:25.440 He missed season after season. Many thought he 00:15:25.440 --> 00:15:28.080 was completely washed up. But he was determined 00:15:28.080 --> 00:15:30.440 to contribute to winning again. He signs with 00:15:30.440 --> 00:15:32.659 the 86 Celtics, accepts that he can't be the 00:15:32.659 --> 00:15:35.100 guy anymore, and he embraces this new role off 00:15:35.100 --> 00:15:37.360 the bench. And he wins Sixth Man of the Year. 00:15:37.480 --> 00:15:39.899 He does. He was a phenomenal backup to Robert 00:15:39.899 --> 00:15:42.620 Parrish and Kevin McHale on what might be the 00:15:42.620 --> 00:15:45.840 greatest frontcourt ever assembled. So for Walton, 00:15:45.960 --> 00:15:49.159 the MVP came first when he was in his prime. 00:15:49.740 --> 00:15:52.559 The six -man award was the epilogue. It was the 00:15:52.559 --> 00:15:55.620 landing strip for his career, allowing him to 00:15:55.620 --> 00:15:58.179 go out as a champion. It was a story of resilience 00:15:58.179 --> 00:16:00.620 and adaptation. Now, you flip that coin over 00:16:00.620 --> 00:16:03.419 and you get James Harden. Harden is the complete 00:16:03.419 --> 00:16:06.360 reverse. He's the launching pad. Perfect way 00:16:06.360 --> 00:16:08.460 to put it. He comes into the league as a high 00:16:08.460 --> 00:16:10.899 draft pick for the Oklahoma City Thunder, a young 00:16:10.899 --> 00:16:13.419 team that is just overflowing with talent. You've 00:16:13.419 --> 00:16:15.320 got Kevin Durant. You've got Russell Westbrook. 00:16:15.419 --> 00:16:17.980 Two future MVPs themselves, so there aren't enough 00:16:17.980 --> 00:16:20.690 shots to go around. Harden, to his credit, accepts 00:16:20.690 --> 00:16:22.830 the bench role. He becomes the offensive creator 00:16:22.830 --> 00:16:24.710 for their second unit, and he's brilliant at 00:16:24.710 --> 00:16:27.389 it. He wins sixth man of the year in 2011 -12. 00:16:27.789 --> 00:16:29.970 That was the year they made the NBA Finals. He 00:16:29.970 --> 00:16:32.330 was a critical part of that run. But then, of 00:16:32.330 --> 00:16:34.730 course, the Thunder make that infamous trade. 00:16:34.970 --> 00:16:37.210 They send him to the Houston Rockets because 00:16:37.210 --> 00:16:39.110 they didn't want to pay him the max contract. 00:16:39.470 --> 00:16:42.190 And in Houston, he finally gets the keys to the 00:16:42.190 --> 00:16:45.169 car. He gets his own team. He becomes a full 00:16:45.169 --> 00:16:48.049 time starter. His usage rate skyrockets and he 00:16:48.049 --> 00:16:50.190 transforms into one of the most dominant offensive 00:16:50.190 --> 00:16:52.669 players the league has ever seen. And eventually 00:16:52.669 --> 00:16:56.330 he wins the MVP award in 2018. So for him, the 00:16:56.330 --> 00:16:59.049 six man award wasn't the end of the story. It 00:16:59.049 --> 00:17:01.850 was a prologue. It was the proof of concept that 00:17:01.850 --> 00:17:04.329 this guy was a superstar and waiting. Two men. 00:17:04.910 --> 00:17:07.250 Two awards, two completely different journeys. 00:17:07.329 --> 00:17:09.190 It's really incredible. And while we're on the 00:17:09.190 --> 00:17:11.230 subject of just, you know, incredible achievements, 00:17:11.650 --> 00:17:14.049 we have to go back to Manu Ginobili for a second. 00:17:14.410 --> 00:17:17.470 Because while he never won an MVP, he did something 00:17:17.470 --> 00:17:19.630 in his sixth man winning season that I would 00:17:19.630 --> 00:17:22.170 argue is statistically even more unique. This 00:17:22.170 --> 00:17:24.029 is one of those stats that sounds fake when you 00:17:24.029 --> 00:17:27.089 first hear it. It's a true deep dive gem. In 00:17:27.089 --> 00:17:30.589 the 2007 -08 season, Manu wins sixth man of the 00:17:30.589 --> 00:17:32.769 year for the Spurs. But that's not the whole 00:17:32.769 --> 00:17:35.519 story. That same season, the media voters also 00:17:35.519 --> 00:17:38.059 named him to the All -NBA third team. And just 00:17:38.059 --> 00:17:40.519 so everyone is clear on what that means, the 00:17:40.519 --> 00:17:44.059 All -NBA teams, first, second, and third, are 00:17:44.059 --> 00:17:47.440 designed to recognize the 15 best players in 00:17:47.440 --> 00:17:49.740 the entire league for that season, regardless 00:17:49.740 --> 00:17:52.119 of position or whether they start. It is the 00:17:52.119 --> 00:17:55.359 single most exclusive honor besides MVP. And 00:17:55.359 --> 00:17:57.839 Manu Ginobili is the only player in NBA history 00:17:57.839 --> 00:18:00.359 to be named to an all NBA team in the same season 00:18:00.359 --> 00:18:02.180 that he won the sixth man of the year award. 00:18:02.299 --> 00:18:04.839 That just blows my mind. The voters simultaneously 00:18:04.839 --> 00:18:07.259 said he is the best bench player in the league 00:18:07.259 --> 00:18:10.400 and also he is one of the top 15 players in the 00:18:10.400 --> 00:18:12.309 world, period. Think about what that does to 00:18:12.309 --> 00:18:14.309 an opposing team's psyche. It was psychological 00:18:14.309 --> 00:18:17.210 warfare from his coach, Greg Popovich. You prepare 00:18:17.210 --> 00:18:19.529 your game plan. You survive the first six minutes 00:18:19.529 --> 00:18:21.609 against Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. And you're 00:18:21.609 --> 00:18:22.890 feeling pretty good. You're holding your own. 00:18:22.970 --> 00:18:26.369 And then Pop calls a timeout. And a literal top 00:18:26.369 --> 00:18:28.890 15 player in the world checks into the game with 00:18:28.890 --> 00:18:31.809 fresh legs to attack your tired defenders. It 00:18:31.809 --> 00:18:34.789 was cheat code. An absolute cheat code. It really 00:18:34.789 --> 00:18:37.990 cemented Manu's legacy as the ultimate team player. 00:18:38.359 --> 00:18:41.259 He sacrificed the personal glory, the starting 00:18:41.259 --> 00:18:43.839 spot, the bigger numbers, all for the benefit 00:18:43.839 --> 00:18:46.339 of the Scourge dynasty. And he made it look so 00:18:46.339 --> 00:18:50.019 fun. The behind -the -back passes, the Euro step. 00:18:50.079 --> 00:18:53.119 He brought this beautiful chaos to the game that 00:18:53.119 --> 00:18:56.380 was mesmerizing to watch. He did. And that excitement 00:18:56.380 --> 00:18:59.460 he brought, that's actually a great bridge to 00:18:59.460 --> 00:19:01.160 the next group of players we need to discuss. 00:19:01.420 --> 00:19:03.680 Because there's a certain archetype of sixth 00:19:03.680 --> 00:19:07.099 man that really came to define the award in the 00:19:07.099 --> 00:19:09.750 21st century. century the specialists the kings 00:19:09.750 --> 00:19:12.410 of the bench the multi -time winners yes there's 00:19:12.410 --> 00:19:14.049 a small group of players who didn't just win 00:19:14.049 --> 00:19:16.710 the award once they made it their entire identity 00:19:16.710 --> 00:19:19.130 they mastered the craft of coming off the bench 00:19:19.130 --> 00:19:21.710 and this is where we see that archetype really 00:19:21.710 --> 00:19:23.509 shift away from the versatile forwards of the 00:19:23.509 --> 00:19:26.630 80s like McHale and turn a very specific type 00:19:26.630 --> 00:19:29.150 of player. A very specific type. So who is at 00:19:29.150 --> 00:19:31.930 the absolute pinnacle? Who has won the most Sixth 00:19:31.930 --> 00:19:33.769 Man of the Year awards in history? It's a tie 00:19:33.769 --> 00:19:35.890 at the top. Two players have won it three times 00:19:35.890 --> 00:19:38.410 apiece, Jamal Crawford and Lou Williams. Jay 00:19:38.410 --> 00:19:41.670 Crossover and Sweet Lou, the godfathers of the 00:19:41.670 --> 00:19:44.460 modern Sixth Man. They absolutely are. They dominated 00:19:44.460 --> 00:19:47.259 an entire decade of this award. Jamal Crawford 00:19:47.259 --> 00:19:49.539 won his first in 2010 with the Hawks and then 00:19:49.539 --> 00:19:52.619 two more in 2014 and 2016 with the Los Angeles 00:19:52.619 --> 00:19:55.380 Clippers. And Lou Williams won his first in 2015 00:19:55.380 --> 00:19:57.500 with the Raptors and then one back to back in 00:19:57.500 --> 00:20:00.559 2018 and 2019, also with the Clippers. The Clippers 00:20:00.559 --> 00:20:02.579 connection is a whole topic in itself that we 00:20:02.579 --> 00:20:04.819 need to get to. For sure. But let's focus on 00:20:04.819 --> 00:20:07.309 their style of play. These guys were not Bobby 00:20:07.309 --> 00:20:09.450 Jones. They weren't being brought in to lock 00:20:09.450 --> 00:20:12.170 down the other team's best player. No, they were 00:20:12.170 --> 00:20:14.089 the polar opposite. They were brought in for 00:20:14.089 --> 00:20:16.970 one reason and one reason only, to get buckets. 00:20:17.309 --> 00:20:19.809 They were offensive savants. They were the living 00:20:19.809 --> 00:20:22.450 embodiment of the microwave player, instant heat. 00:20:22.630 --> 00:20:25.069 The game plan for their teams was beautifully 00:20:25.069 --> 00:20:27.769 simple. Are the starters struggling to score? 00:20:27.890 --> 00:20:30.569 Is the offense looking stagnant? All right, put 00:20:30.569 --> 00:20:32.509 in Jamal or Lou, give them the ball, and get 00:20:32.509 --> 00:20:34.109 out of the way. And they could create a shot 00:20:34.109 --> 00:20:37.029 out of thin air. Jamal Crawford's crossover was 00:20:37.029 --> 00:20:40.250 legendary. Lou Williams had this uncanny ability 00:20:40.250 --> 00:20:43.049 to draw fouls and hit tough, off -balance shots. 00:20:43.349 --> 00:20:45.410 They didn't need a system to run for them. For 00:20:45.410 --> 00:20:47.730 the second unit, they were the system. It really 00:20:47.730 --> 00:20:51.450 felt like, for that entire 2010s decade, the 00:20:51.450 --> 00:20:54.250 unofficial criteria for winning the award became, 00:20:54.529 --> 00:20:56.950 are you a guard who can average about 20 points 00:20:56.950 --> 00:20:59.759 a game off the bench? It basically became a scoring 00:20:59.759 --> 00:21:02.220 title for non -starters, and the numbers they 00:21:02.220 --> 00:21:04.619 put up were incredible. I mean, Lou Williams 00:21:04.619 --> 00:21:07.380 had multiple games where he scored 40 or even 00:21:07.380 --> 00:21:10.440 50 points off the bench. A 50 -point game off 00:21:10.440 --> 00:21:12.839 the bench is just a statistical absurdity. It 00:21:12.839 --> 00:21:15.200 is, but that was their value. It was demoralizing 00:21:15.200 --> 00:21:16.880 for the other team. You fight so hard against 00:21:16.880 --> 00:21:18.579 the starters, you finally force a timeout, you 00:21:18.579 --> 00:21:20.980 think you get a moment to breathe, and then Lou 00:21:20.980 --> 00:21:23.519 Williams checks in and hits a 30 -foot step back 00:21:23.519 --> 00:21:26.079 on his first touch. The underground goat, as 00:21:26.079 --> 00:21:29.789 he was known. A truly professional scorer. Absolutely. 00:21:30.170 --> 00:21:32.549 Now, before the Crawford and Williams era really 00:21:32.549 --> 00:21:34.950 took hold, there were a couple of other two -time 00:21:34.950 --> 00:21:36.750 winners who sort of bridged that gap. Right. 00:21:36.869 --> 00:21:38.750 We already mentioned Kevin McHale winning two 00:21:38.750 --> 00:21:41.190 in the 80s, but we also have Ricky Pierce and 00:21:41.190 --> 00:21:44.250 Detlef Schrempf. Ricky Pierce. He was with the 00:21:44.250 --> 00:21:46.650 Milwaukee Bucks, if I remember correctly. That's 00:21:46.650 --> 00:21:50.319 right. He won in 1987 and again in 1990. And 00:21:50.319 --> 00:21:52.720 he was very much in that professional scorer 00:21:52.720 --> 00:21:56.640 mold, just in a different era, a deadly mid -range 00:21:56.640 --> 00:21:58.400 shooter. And then Deliff Shrimps is a really 00:21:58.400 --> 00:22:00.240 interesting one. He won back -to -back awards 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:04.079 in 1991 and 1992 with the Indiana Pacers. Shrimp 00:22:04.079 --> 00:22:06.819 was fascinating. He was a 6 '10 forward, but 00:22:06.819 --> 00:22:08.970 he had the skills of a guard. He could shoot 00:22:08.970 --> 00:22:10.750 the three. He could handle the ball. He was a 00:22:10.750 --> 00:22:13.829 great passer. He was less of a pure bucket getter 00:22:13.829 --> 00:22:16.349 and more of a point forward who stabilized the 00:22:16.349 --> 00:22:18.670 entire second unit. Winning it back to back is 00:22:18.670 --> 00:22:21.269 so hard to do. Usually, if you're that good for 00:22:21.269 --> 00:22:23.309 that long, your team just gives in and starts 00:22:23.309 --> 00:22:25.089 you the next season. That's usually what happens. 00:22:25.269 --> 00:22:27.490 But he embraced that role for those Pacers teams 00:22:27.490 --> 00:22:29.789 before he eventually did become a starter for 00:22:29.789 --> 00:22:32.289 the Seattle Supersonics. You know, the name Detlef 00:22:32.289 --> 00:22:35.700 Schrempf is actually a perfect transition. Because 00:22:35.700 --> 00:22:38.140 it reminds us that the NBA has become a global 00:22:38.140 --> 00:22:41.259 game. And the Sixth Man Award, interestingly, 00:22:41.599 --> 00:22:44.160 has a very rich history of honoring international 00:22:44.160 --> 00:22:46.380 players. You're absolutely right. It's been one 00:22:46.380 --> 00:22:48.859 of the more internationally diverse awards in 00:22:48.859 --> 00:22:50.799 the league, sometimes even more so than the MVP. 00:22:51.319 --> 00:22:53.180 Why do you think that is? Is there something 00:22:53.180 --> 00:22:56.440 about the international game that prepares players 00:22:56.440 --> 00:22:59.309 for... a role like this. I think that's a really 00:22:59.309 --> 00:23:02.509 sharp insight. In many basketball cultures outside 00:23:02.509 --> 00:23:05.130 the U .S., there's a much heavier emphasis on 00:23:05.130 --> 00:23:08.410 team concept and playing a specific role within 00:23:08.410 --> 00:23:11.349 a system from a very young age. The me -first 00:23:11.349 --> 00:23:14.170 superstore culture isn't as prevalent. So they 00:23:14.170 --> 00:23:16.190 might be more psychologically prepared to accept 00:23:16.190 --> 00:23:18.690 a bench role, even if they're hugely talented. 00:23:18.910 --> 00:23:21.779 I think so. And Detlef Schrempf, born in West 00:23:21.779 --> 00:23:23.880 Germany, was the trailblazer. He was the first 00:23:23.880 --> 00:23:26.339 non -American to win the award. He really opened 00:23:26.339 --> 00:23:28.259 the door. And then the floodgates opened behind 00:23:28.259 --> 00:23:30.759 him. They did. We already talked about Toni Kukoc 00:23:30.759 --> 00:23:33.119 from Croatia winning it with the Bulls. Then 00:23:33.119 --> 00:23:35.519 you've got our guy Manu Ginobili from Argentina. 00:23:35.859 --> 00:23:38.200 But we also have to mention the Brazilian blur. 00:23:38.480 --> 00:23:41.609 Leandro Barbosa. With the Phoenix Suns. Yes. 00:23:41.690 --> 00:23:45.250 He won it in the 2006 -07 season, playing for 00:23:45.250 --> 00:23:48.210 those electrifying seven seconds or less Suns 00:23:48.210 --> 00:23:50.549 teams. Man, that team was fun to watch. And Barbosa 00:23:50.549 --> 00:23:53.650 was like pure adrenaline off the bench. He was 00:23:53.650 --> 00:23:56.069 one of the fastest players in the league with 00:23:56.069 --> 00:23:58.009 the ball in his hands. He would just come in 00:23:58.009 --> 00:24:00.990 and create chaos, running opposing bench units 00:24:00.990 --> 00:24:03.190 into the ground. He was a perfect fit for that 00:24:03.190 --> 00:24:04.789 system. And then there's another international 00:24:04.789 --> 00:24:08.559 player who holds a record that is, I think, One 00:24:08.559 --> 00:24:11.440 of the most unbreakable in the sport. Ben Gordon. 00:24:11.700 --> 00:24:15.180 Ah, yes. The Ben Gordon anomaly. He's a great 00:24:15.180 --> 00:24:17.460 trivia question. First, the international part. 00:24:17.819 --> 00:24:20.680 He was born in London, England, and holds dual 00:24:20.680 --> 00:24:23.400 British and American citizenship. But that's 00:24:23.400 --> 00:24:25.799 not the unbreakable record. No. The record is 00:24:25.799 --> 00:24:29.539 this. In the 2004 -05 season, as a member of 00:24:29.539 --> 00:24:32.279 the Chicago Bulls, Ben Gordon won the sixth man 00:24:32.279 --> 00:24:35.380 of the year award as a rookie. Let that sink 00:24:35.380 --> 00:24:38.529 in. He is the only player in NBA history to win 00:24:38.529 --> 00:24:40.470 this award as a first year player. It's a true 00:24:40.470 --> 00:24:43.069 outlier. It seems impossible. Think about the 00:24:43.069 --> 00:24:45.130 typical path for a rookie. If you're a high draft 00:24:45.130 --> 00:24:47.029 pick, you usually start right away, especially 00:24:47.029 --> 00:24:48.930 if the team isn't very good. Right. You're thrown 00:24:48.930 --> 00:24:51.809 into the fire to get experience. And if you're 00:24:51.809 --> 00:24:54.289 a lower pick or you're on a very good veteran 00:24:54.289 --> 00:24:57.009 team. You're usually buried at the end of the 00:24:57.009 --> 00:24:59.190 bench. You don't get enough playing time to even 00:24:59.190 --> 00:25:01.710 qualify for an award like this. So to win it 00:25:01.710 --> 00:25:05.250 as a rookie, you need this perfect storm of circumstances. 00:25:05.349 --> 00:25:07.690 You need to be talented enough to make an immediate 00:25:07.690 --> 00:25:09.950 impact. You need to be on a team that's good 00:25:09.950 --> 00:25:12.049 enough to have established starters blocking 00:25:12.049 --> 00:25:14.609 your path. And that team needs to have a specific 00:25:14.609 --> 00:25:17.769 need for your skill set off the bench. And that 00:25:17.769 --> 00:25:20.710 was the Baby Bulls that year. They were a young, 00:25:20.789 --> 00:25:24.250 scrappy team. but they desperately needed a go 00:25:24.250 --> 00:25:26.730 -to scorer, especially in crunch time. And Ben 00:25:26.730 --> 00:25:29.369 Gordon was just fearless. He had this incredible 00:25:29.369 --> 00:25:32.089 knack for hitting huge shots in the fourth quarter. 00:25:32.190 --> 00:25:34.609 He became their de facto closer as a rookie. 00:25:34.829 --> 00:25:37.009 It's a feat we haven't seen repeated, and with 00:25:37.009 --> 00:25:39.089 the way player development has gone, we might 00:25:39.089 --> 00:25:41.170 not ever see it again. It's a true one -of -one. 00:25:41.609 --> 00:25:43.990 Now, sticking with rookies for a second, is there 00:25:43.990 --> 00:25:47.309 any other crossover between, say, rookie of the 00:25:47.309 --> 00:25:49.769 year and sixth man of the year? Has anyone managed 00:25:49.769 --> 00:25:52.059 to win both over the course of a career? It's 00:25:52.059 --> 00:25:54.880 very rare, but it has happened. Two players have 00:25:54.880 --> 00:25:57.000 pulled off that particular double. Okay, who 00:25:57.000 --> 00:25:59.400 are they? The first is Mike Miller. Mike Miller, 00:25:59.599 --> 00:26:02.640 of course. Sharp shooter. One rookie of the year 00:26:02.640 --> 00:26:05.279 with the Orlando Magic. He did. And then later 00:26:05.279 --> 00:26:07.299 in his career, he really settled into that role 00:26:07.299 --> 00:26:10.339 as a specialist shooter off the bench. He won 00:26:10.339 --> 00:26:13.519 a six -man award in 2006 with the Memphis Grizzlies. 00:26:13.640 --> 00:26:15.680 And who is the second player? Malcolm Brockton, 00:26:15.799 --> 00:26:18.119 the president. He won Rookie of the Year with 00:26:18.119 --> 00:26:20.819 the Milwaukee Bucks in a surprise. He did. And 00:26:20.819 --> 00:26:23.279 then much later in his career, after being a 00:26:23.279 --> 00:26:25.720 full time high level starter for the Indiana 00:26:25.720 --> 00:26:28.380 Pacers, he accepted a move to the bench when 00:26:28.380 --> 00:26:30.640 he was traded to the Boston Celtics. And he won 00:26:30.640 --> 00:26:33.920 sixth man of the year in 2023. His story is another 00:26:33.920 --> 00:26:37.220 great example of a player sacrificing their individual 00:26:37.220 --> 00:26:40.349 role for a chance to compete for a title. It's 00:26:40.349 --> 00:26:42.349 a sign of real professionalism. It really is. 00:26:42.430 --> 00:26:44.529 And Brogdon is a perfect segue into the modern 00:26:44.529 --> 00:26:46.450 history of the award. All right, let's bring 00:26:46.450 --> 00:26:48.710 it home. We've gone through the origins, the 00:26:48.710 --> 00:26:51.349 legends, the archetypes. Let's look at the recent 00:26:51.349 --> 00:26:55.269 timeline, say from 2020 to the present day in 00:26:55.269 --> 00:26:59.019 our data, which is the 2024 -25 season. The 2020s 00:26:59.019 --> 00:27:01.220 have been a really interesting mix. We started 00:27:01.220 --> 00:27:03.579 the decade in 2020 with Montrezl Harrell winning 00:27:03.579 --> 00:27:06.180 for the L .A. Clippers. He was an undersized 00:27:06.180 --> 00:27:09.000 high energy center, a throwback in some ways. 00:27:09.200 --> 00:27:11.960 Then in 2021, we got Jordan Clarkson with the 00:27:11.960 --> 00:27:14.180 Utah Jazz. Back to the classic bucket getting 00:27:14.180 --> 00:27:16.140 guard. And Clarkson has another international 00:27:16.140 --> 00:27:18.500 tie, right? He does. He's American born, but 00:27:18.500 --> 00:27:20.599 represents the Philippines in international competition. 00:27:20.799 --> 00:27:23.619 So that global flavor continues. Then in 2022, 00:27:24.059 --> 00:27:26.720 Tyler Harrow of the Miami Heat. The ultimate 00:27:26.720 --> 00:27:29.480 modern six man. He had the scoring, the confidence, 00:27:29.660 --> 00:27:32.240 the swagger. He embraced the identity completely. 00:27:32.500 --> 00:27:35.700 He really did. 2023 was Malcolm Brogdon, who 00:27:35.700 --> 00:27:38.980 we just discussed. But then, in the 2023 -24 00:27:38.980 --> 00:27:42.000 season, we saw a really significant pivot, a 00:27:42.000 --> 00:27:44.480 real break from the trend. Nas Reid. Nas Reid 00:27:44.480 --> 00:27:46.180 of the Minnesota Timberwolves. The cult hero. 00:27:46.279 --> 00:27:48.400 The entire state of Minnesota just writes Nas 00:27:48.400 --> 00:27:50.700 Reid in comment sections. He's become a phenomenon, 00:27:50.799 --> 00:27:53.019 but what was so important about his win was that 00:27:53.019 --> 00:27:56.019 he was a center. A true big man. For the better 00:27:56.019 --> 00:27:58.000 part of a decade, the award had been dominated 00:27:58.000 --> 00:28:01.039 by scoring guards. Reid's win felt like a throwback 00:28:01.039 --> 00:28:03.859 to the McHale and Bobby Jones era. It felt like 00:28:03.859 --> 00:28:06.299 voters were finally remembering that impact can 00:28:06.299 --> 00:28:09.220 be more than just scoring. It can be rebounding, 00:28:09.400 --> 00:28:12.339 rim protection, and versatility from a big man. 00:28:12.619 --> 00:28:14.799 Exactly. And then that brings us to the most 00:28:14.799 --> 00:28:18.819 recent winner in our data set, the 2024 -25 season. 00:28:18.960 --> 00:28:20.859 And the winner is Peyton Pritchard of the Boston 00:28:20.859 --> 00:28:23.769 Celtics. Back to the scoring guard mold. But 00:28:23.769 --> 00:28:26.410 also another Celtic. It does feel like we're 00:28:26.410 --> 00:28:28.849 saying Celtics and Clippers a lot here. Is there 00:28:28.849 --> 00:28:31.170 a pattern of team dominance with this award? 00:28:31.349 --> 00:28:33.630 Oh, it's a huge pattern. If you look at the all 00:28:33.630 --> 00:28:36.430 -time leaderboard for this award by franchise, 00:28:36.829 --> 00:28:39.309 two teams are sitting at the top, tied. Let me 00:28:39.309 --> 00:28:42.099 guess. The Celtics and the Clippers. You got 00:28:42.099 --> 00:28:44.519 it. The Boston Celtics have five total wins. 00:28:44.640 --> 00:28:47.079 You have McHale's two, Walton's one, Brogdon's 00:28:47.079 --> 00:28:49.299 one, and now Pritchard's. And the Los Angeles 00:28:49.299 --> 00:28:52.220 Clippers. Also five wins. Jamal Crawford's two, 00:28:52.579 --> 00:28:55.579 Lou Williams' two, and Montrezl Harrell's one. 00:28:55.700 --> 00:28:58.299 It's fascinating because they represent two totally 00:28:58.299 --> 00:29:00.519 different philosophies. The Celtics' wins are 00:29:00.519 --> 00:29:03.279 spread out over 40 years. It speaks to a long 00:29:03.279 --> 00:29:05.759 -term organizational culture of valuing depth 00:29:05.759 --> 00:29:08.880 and team -first players. From Red Auerbach in 00:29:08.880 --> 00:29:11.160 the 80s to Brad Stevens in the front office today, 00:29:11.299 --> 00:29:14.180 it's just part of their DNA. Whereas the Clippers, 00:29:14.420 --> 00:29:17.980 five wins, are all clustered in the 2010s. That 00:29:17.980 --> 00:29:20.640 was a specific strategic decision. During the 00:29:20.640 --> 00:29:23.460 Lob City era and right after, they built their 00:29:23.460 --> 00:29:26.180 entire team identity around having the league's 00:29:26.180 --> 00:29:29.039 best bench. They knew they couldn't always match 00:29:29.039 --> 00:29:31.640 the top -end star power of teams like the Warriors, 00:29:31.759 --> 00:29:34.240 so their strategy was to win the 15 minutes a 00:29:34.240 --> 00:29:37.230 game when the superstars were resting. teams 00:29:37.230 --> 00:29:39.750 that are close to that level of success? The 00:29:39.750 --> 00:29:42.250 Phoenix Suns have a strong history here. They 00:29:42.250 --> 00:29:45.009 have four wins also spread out over time. Eddie 00:29:45.009 --> 00:29:48.650 Johnson in 89, Danny Manning in 98, Ronnie Rogers 00:29:48.650 --> 00:29:51.849 in 2000, and Leandro Barbosa in 07. But Annie 00:29:51.849 --> 00:29:54.130 Manning, that's a great pull. Former number one 00:29:54.130 --> 00:29:56.109 overall pick who had to reinvent his career after 00:29:56.109 --> 00:29:58.390 devastating injuries. Another story of adaptation. 00:29:59.150 --> 00:30:01.069 And it makes sense for the Suns. They've historically 00:30:01.069 --> 00:30:04.170 favored a fast -paced, up -tempo style. And to 00:30:04.170 --> 00:30:06.490 play that way, you need a deep and talented bench 00:30:06.490 --> 00:30:09.549 to keep guys fresh. Okay, so we've covered the 00:30:09.549 --> 00:30:12.049 history, the voting, the legends, the archetypes, 00:30:12.049 --> 00:30:14.829 the teams. Let's try to synthesize all of this. 00:30:15.150 --> 00:30:17.150 If we step back and look at the big picture, 00:30:17.269 --> 00:30:20.829 what is the ideal sixth man? If you were building 00:30:20.829 --> 00:30:23.910 a championship contender from scratch, what kind 00:30:23.910 --> 00:30:26.170 of player are you looking for in that role? Well, 00:30:26.289 --> 00:30:29.069 after analyzing over 40 years of data, it seems 00:30:29.069 --> 00:30:32.150 to come down to two primary winning archetypes. 00:30:32.170 --> 00:30:35.130 The first and most common in the modern era is 00:30:35.130 --> 00:30:37.720 the high scoring guard. The microwave. You're 00:30:37.720 --> 00:30:40.440 Jamal Crawford, Tyler Harrow, Lou Williams. Exactly. 00:30:40.440 --> 00:30:43.200 You deploy this weapon when your starting offense 00:30:43.200 --> 00:30:45.380 gets bogged down in the half court. You need 00:30:45.380 --> 00:30:47.539 someone who can just go create a good shot for 00:30:47.539 --> 00:30:49.420 himself at a nothing. And what's the second architect? 00:30:49.779 --> 00:30:52.059 The second is the versatile big. This is your 00:30:52.059 --> 00:30:54.460 McHale, your Bobby Jones, and more recently, 00:30:54.579 --> 00:30:57.240 your Nas Reid. This player doesn't just add points. 00:30:57.339 --> 00:30:59.500 They change the entire geometry of the game. 00:30:59.920 --> 00:31:01.720 They can provide a post -up threat the starting 00:31:01.720 --> 00:31:03.660 center doesn't have, or they can be a better 00:31:03.660 --> 00:31:06.819 rim protector. Or, like Schrempf, they can be 00:31:06.819 --> 00:31:09.480 a playmaking hub from the forward position. They 00:31:09.480 --> 00:31:11.619 give the coach a completely different tactical 00:31:11.619 --> 00:31:14.089 look to throw at the opponent. And it feels like 00:31:14.089 --> 00:31:16.430 the league has pendulum swings between those 00:31:16.430 --> 00:31:19.470 two. We had the versatile bigs in the 80s, then 00:31:19.470 --> 00:31:22.549 a long, long run of high scoring guards. And 00:31:22.549 --> 00:31:25.349 maybe with Nas Reed's win, the pendulum is starting 00:31:25.349 --> 00:31:28.109 to swing back a little. The game is always evolving. 00:31:28.170 --> 00:31:30.309 But the one thing that has remained constant 00:31:30.309 --> 00:31:33.740 is the value of the role itself. This award has 00:31:33.740 --> 00:31:36.380 truly grown up. It's not just the best of the 00:31:36.380 --> 00:31:38.700 rest anymore. It's a legitimate career path. 00:31:38.839 --> 00:31:41.500 It's a path to a massive contract. Guys like 00:31:41.500 --> 00:31:44.420 Jordan Clarkson and Tyler Hero got paid because 00:31:44.420 --> 00:31:47.140 they excelled in this role. And it's a path to 00:31:47.140 --> 00:31:49.400 the Hall of Fame. And by renaming the trophy 00:31:49.400 --> 00:31:51.920 after John Havlicek, the league has finally given 00:31:51.920 --> 00:31:54.019 the role the respect and reverence it's always 00:31:54.019 --> 00:31:56.539 deserved. It sends a message that team success 00:31:56.539 --> 00:31:58.579 is more important than the vanity of a starting 00:31:58.579 --> 00:32:01.559 spot. So that brings me to my final provocative 00:32:01.559 --> 00:32:04.880 thought for you and for everyone listening. We've 00:32:04.880 --> 00:32:07.140 talked about all this history. We've seen guys 00:32:07.140 --> 00:32:09.839 like Jason Terry play nearly 34 minutes a game 00:32:09.839 --> 00:32:12.640 off the bench. We've seen Manu Ginobili, an all 00:32:12.640 --> 00:32:15.599 -NBA player, come off the bench. We see today's 00:32:15.599 --> 00:32:18.200 starters playing fewer minutes than ever because 00:32:18.200 --> 00:32:20.480 of load management. The lines are getting blurrier 00:32:20.480 --> 00:32:24.400 and blurrier. So my question is this. Does the 00:32:24.400 --> 00:32:27.759 distinction of starting even really matter anymore? 00:32:28.599 --> 00:32:31.680 Is it an outdated concept? Or should we just 00:32:31.680 --> 00:32:33.880 get rid of the sixth -man title and rename the 00:32:33.880 --> 00:32:36.619 award The Closer? Because at the end of the day, 00:32:36.680 --> 00:32:39.059 isn't the only thing that truly matters who the 00:32:39.059 --> 00:32:41.119 coach trusts to have on the floor when the game 00:32:41.119 --> 00:32:43.640 is on the line? That is the million -dollar question 00:32:43.640 --> 00:32:45.839 for the future of the sport. The first five minutes 00:32:45.839 --> 00:32:48.079 of the game are about setting a tone. The last 00:32:48.079 --> 00:32:50.700 five minutes are about winning. And maybe in 00:32:50.700 --> 00:32:52.980 another decade, we won't even list games started 00:32:52.980 --> 00:32:55.559 as a primary stat. Maybe it'll just be games 00:32:55.559 --> 00:32:57.640 closed. Something to think about the next time 00:32:57.640 --> 00:32:59.680 you're watching a game and see a team's best 00:32:59.680 --> 00:33:01.940 player check in for the first time with five 00:33:01.940 --> 00:33:04.339 minutes already gone. Thanks for taking this 00:33:04.339 --> 00:33:06.440 deep dive with us. My pleasure. It was a great 00:33:06.440 --> 00:33:07.940 one. We'll catch you on the next one.