Moments That Live in My Head Rent Free: Sixth Man Award Winners

Hi, I’m Charlie! (@ogallanoby) and welcome to TopShot moments that live rent free in my head!

This week is the sixth man of the year edition! I thought I would give some love to the second unit guys! The award first came about in the 1982-83 season. To be eligible for the award, a player must come off the bench more times than they start.

Bobby Jones was the first winner and the latest recipient was Naz Reid. Jamal Crawford and Lou Williams are the only players to have won the award 3 times.

The German Detlef Schrempf was the first non-American to win the award when he did so in 1990-91 season. He won it in back to back seasons when on the Pacers.

The following are 5 moments featuring talented 'Sixth Men' award winners on NBA Top Shot that live in my head rent free:

Lou Williams: The Record Breaker

This moment lives rent free in my head for a couple of reasons. 1) You can’t mention the words ‘6th man’ without thinking of Williams, and 2) The bucket he scored in this play made him the NBA’s all-time record holder for points scored off the bench. A very fitting title for Mr Second Unit himself! Lou was a three-time winner of the award and joint first for amount of times won! (14-15, 17-18, 18-19)

He put his foot on the gas, drove past Smart stuck by the screen and then drove into the paint, zooming past Theis for a nice layup finish at the rim. He also scored 34 points in this game vs the Celtics.

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J.R. Smith: The Fake, Step, and Swish

This moment lives rent free in my head because it’s simply so silky smooth I couldn’t leave it off the list. J.R. won the award in the 2012-13 season with the Knicks - in this season he had 3 consecutive 30 point games off the bench.

In this play he catches a pass on the perimeter, hitting a pump fake that sent his defender to the shops… he wraps the ball behind his back with a side step into his pull-up for a 3! He was feeling himself after this play (and too right!) Look at the skip back down the court in celebration.

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James Harden: The Evading Handles

This moment lives rent free in my head because it’s a great 3point shot, of which he has many, but also because I never knew he had won this award! Harden won the award in the 2011-12 season whilst at OKC. He averaged 16.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 62 games with only two starts in his award winning season.

In this moment he starts with his classic handles with the between the legs dribble, starting slowly and then boom, a speed change he’s pulling up from deep! He hits the step back with a double team trying to close him down aggressively, but sometimes you need more than that to stop The Beard! The defense were so eager that they collided after the shot, taking each other out along with Harden. All three came crashing down onto the hard wood.

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Lamar Odom: The Flashy Big Man

This moment lives rent free in my head because for a man of his size (6ft 10) it wasn’t usual to see him with these sorts of handles when he first came to the NBA. He was drafted at number 4 in 1999. Even these days you don’t see players doing a between the legs jumping crossover. He won the 6th man award in 2011 when he was on the Lakers, becoming the first in Lakers history to do so.

In this moment he starts with the jumping between the leg crossover followed by several more in between the legs, toying with the defence. With a jab step into his man before kicking it out to his teammate behind the arc for him to knock down the 3!

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Naz Reid: The Hustle & Slam

This moment lives rent free in my head. Why? Naz Reid. Nothing more needs to be said. The most recent winner of the award in the 2023-24 season and also the year he became a meme. Only being the 3rd center to win the award in its history - it’s no mean feat.

In this play it shows his aggression which is why he’s such a good fit on a young hungry Timberwolves team. He shoots the corner 3 which misses but comes back off the rim in his direction. He beats Green to the ball and drives towards the basket for a powerful one-handed jam!

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Charlie has a background in plumbing & construction and is a big lover of NFT's, WEB3 and crypto! He bought his first cryptocurrency in 2017 (Litecoin) and left it until a friend told him about NBA TopShot in January 2021, which sent him into the NFT stratosphere. A few months later he got his hands on a Bored Ape for .69 ETH and still has it to this day.