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5

8.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.1 apg

A steady backup point guard for many years in the NBA, Bobby Jackson enjoyed a six-year stretch in which he averaged 12.2 points and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 36.7 percent from three.

Jackson won Sixth Man of the Year once, in 2002-03, as a member of the Sacramento Kings, when he put up over 15 points, three rebounds, three assists and one steal per game. He did that for a very solid Kings team that got to Game 7 of the second round of the playoffs. 

What Jackson lacked in height, he made up for with solid off-the-dribble shooting touch, from three and the midrange, and by playing with tenacity on both ends of the floor.

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3

8.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 2.2 apg

One of the most versatile Sixth Men in NBA history, Lamar Odom was an important cog in the Lakers machine of the late ‘00s when the team won back-to-back championships.

Odom, despite standing at 6-foot-10, had a guard-like game. The native New Yorker could handle the ball extremely creatively for a player of his size, slash to the basket and finish around the rim, spot up and shoot threes, and even do some playmaking.

After starting for a large portion of his early career, Odom settled into more of a bench role once he got to his late 20s and early 30s. Odom won Sixth Man of the Year in 2010-11 after finishing Top 6 in the voting the two seasons prior when Los Angeles won its two championships.

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6

11.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.7 apg

A starter in fewer than 10 percent of his career NBA games, Dell Curry was one of the most effective bench players of his era, earning Sixth Man of the Year votes in six separate seasons, even winning the award in 1993-94. Curry also finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting in ‘95, ultimately losing it to New York’s Anthony Mason.

Much like his two NBA sons, Curry was an excellent outside shooter, hitting 40.2 percent of his career three-point attempts. The elder Curry even led the NBA in outside shooting in 1998-99 when he knocked down a preposterous 47.6 percent of his outside looks. Curry’s outside shooting helped him have good longevity in his career, as he was still getting minutes on playoff-level teams in Toronto as a 36- and 37-year-old.

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2

12.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.7 apg

Former league MVP James Harden only spent three seasons as a bench player early in his career, all as a member of the Thunder. And yet, even in that short of a stretch, he was productive enough to earn a spot in this ranking.

Harden won Sixth Man of the Year in 2011-12, a campaign that saw him average 16.8 points and 3.7 assists for a nearly 50-win Thunder team. That same OKC squad made it all the way to the 2012 NBA Finals before falling to Miami in the championship series. And that deep run had a lot to do with Harden’s excellent play off the bench.

Of course, after that, Harden would be traded to the Rockets the very following offseason, and that’s when his career really took off, a backup no more. We’re confident in saying that if Harden had stayed a bench player his whole career, though, he’d easily top this list.

4

12.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.3 apg

Although he never won Sixth Man of the Year, 12-year NBA player Thurl Bailey nearly did, finishing twice in the vote in ‘88 and ‘89 as a member of the Jazz. Bailey put up huge numbers in those two seasons as a reserve, averaging 19.5 points and 6.0 rebounds over those campaigns with the Jazz. 

Those weren’t bad Utah teams Bailey was playing on, either, as in 1987-88, the Jazz got to the second round of the playoffs before falling to the eventual champion Lakers in seven games. Bailey proved his production was far from empty by actually upping his numbers in the ‘88 playoffs to 23.2 points and 5.7 rebounds on 48.8 percent shooting in 11 games off the bench that postseason.

One of the most underrated Sixth Men ever, Bailey was one of the best reserves in the NBA in the ‘80s.

1

5.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.5 apg

An astounding seven-time NBA champion, Big Shot Bob Robert Horry was almost unfathomably clutch in his career, hitting huge shots down the stretch of various playoff – and even Finals – games. Horry started in fewer than half of his 1,107 career NBA games, though he didn’t fully become a reserve until about 1998-99 when he was a Laker. 

Horry received Sixth Man of the Year votes just once in his career to earn an eighth-place finish in 2001-02. Even then, the fact that he was able to parlay his defensive versatility and his three-point shooting in a 6-foot-10 frame (this was obviously much before big men shooting threes was as prelevant as it is today), to go with his clutch shot-making, into a career that saw him win seven championships with three different teams makes him an easy choice to earn a spot on this list.

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2

10.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.5 apg

The late, great Clifford Robinson started off his career as a bench player for the Blazers before blossoming into an All-Star-level talent. Robinson didn’t really break out until his fourth season, still as a reserve, when he averaged 19.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 70 appearances off the bench and just 12 starts. Robinson won Sixth Man of the Year that season and earned a full-time starting job the very next campaign for Portland. 

Robinson played with a whole lot of tenacity on both ends of the floor, was explosive near the basket, often finishing with dunks and swatting shots away left and right on defense, and could even do some outside shooting, making him an impactful force whenever he was out on the court. If he had spent more of his career as a reserve, he would have ranked even higher on this list.

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7

12.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.1 apg

A two-time NBA champion, albeit the first time as a starter, JR Smith was pretty much as frustrating as he was electric, as he had a gunner’s mentality when he’d be on the court, hardly ever meeting a look at the basket he didn’t like. Not only could he hit difficult shots with aplomb, he was also an explosive finisher around the basket, especially during his athletic prime.

Smith won Sixth Man of the Year once in 2012-13 as a member of the Knicks. He also received votes for the award six other times, including in 2008-09 in Denver when he finished second in the vote. Overall, Smith was a high-variance player, one who could put on memorable performances just as often as he’d put up confounding ones.

Even so, he’s one of the most impactful Sixth Men in league history, in our eyes.

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4

10.0 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 1.9 apg

Out of 850 career NBA games, Leandro Barbosa came off the bench for 738 of them, making him a true sixth man for basically his entire time in the league. The electrically quick Barbosa could hightail it up and down the floor before defenders could catch up, which is what made him such a great fit with the Seven-Seconds-or-Less Suns of the mid-to-late 2000s. Barbosa also had the quickness to get to the rim in the halfcourt and the shooting ability from three to keep defenders honest and open up driving lanes for himself.

Barbosa won Sixth Man of the Year in 2006-07, his age-24 campaign, a season that saw the Brazilian average 18.1 points and 4.0 assists while shooting 43.4 percent from three in just 18 starts all year. Barbosa earned Sixth Man of the Year votes in four seasons of his career, including in ‘08 when he finished second in the vote.

Barbosa’s game aged pretty well, as he played a role in the 2014-15 Warriors championship team despite already being in his early 30s at that point.

2

8.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 3.7 apg

A true bench player through and through during his time in the NBA, JJ Barea never won Sixth Man of the Year but he did receive votes for the honor twice, finishing 12th in the vote two times, first in 2015-16 and then again in 2017-18.

Barea had six seasons in which he averaged double-digit points off the bench, in large part thanks to his unusual strength for his size as well as his quickness. Barea also had a dependable pull-up midrange jumper, which he used quite successfully to score before having to attack 7-footers near the rim.

The best achievement of Barea’s career undoubtedly came in 2010-11 when he was a key reserve for the Mavericks team that won the championship that year. Barea was very impactful in the upset victory for Dallas over Miami, doing a fair share of scoring as well as playing feisty defense, including, at times, against LeBron James.

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From Game 4 of the 2011 Finals, with Dallas down two games to one, through Game 6, when the Mavericks sealed the championship, Barea averaged 13.3 points and 4.7 assists on 50.0 percent shooting from three.

1

10.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 0.9 apg

17-year NBAer Dale Ellis started his career coming off the bench before turning into a starter –  and a star, as Ellis made All-Star and 3rd Team All-NBA honors in 1988-89 with the Seattle SuperSonics – before then going back to a bench role late in his long career.

Ellis was still effective enough late in his career that he finished third in Sixth Man of the Year voting in 1997-98, his age-37 campaign, when he averaged 11.8 points on 46.4 percent shooting from three (which led the NBA that season). 

A high-volume scorer in his prime with great shooting touch from the outside, as well as good slashing ability, Ellis would certainly rank higher on this list if he had spent more of his career coming off the bench.

An eventual NBA head coach who had an underrated playing career, Paul Silas was a two-time All-Star and five-time All-Defender. Silas was a defensive-minded power forward who was an excellent rebounder and a tenacious player on the less glamorous end of the floor. Despite never being much of a scorer, Silas was an excellent role player, one who played a part in three separate championship runs, two with the Celtics and one with the Sonics.

Don Nelson may be best remembered for his years as an NBA head coach, but he also spent 14 years in the league as a player, mostly as a reserve. Nelson never won Sixth Man of the Year because the award didn’t exist until years after he retired, but he was a productive player off the bench, one who averaged 13.0 points and 5.7 rebounds from his age-28 season through his age-34 campaign. Nelson also played a part in five Celtics championships during his time with the team, contributing with solid scoring from the midrange and near the rim.

Tom “Satch” Sanders was an underrated piece for the Celtics dynasty of the ‘60s and ‘70s. The athletic swingman spent 13 seasons in the NBA, mostly coming off the bench in Boston, averaging 9.6 points and 6.3 rebounds over that stretch. Sanders was part of an astonishing eight championship-winning Celtics teams, playing a role on each of those teams with his defense and energy. Sanders earned 2nd Team All-Defense honors in 1968-69.

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3

13.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.6 apg

Former HoopsHype writer Eddie Johnson was a beastly scorer off the bench in his prime. Unlike other players, Johnson actually began his NBA career mostly as a starter before being switched over to a bench role. But instead of taking it as a demotion, Johnson thrived in his new role. Between 1985-86 and 1992-93, in just 176 starts and 614 games overall, Johnson averaged 17.7 points and 4.0 rebounds on 47.3 percent shooting from the floor. 

The fantastic scorer won Sixth Man of the Year once during that stretch in 1988-89 at 21.5 points per game, a campaign in which he shot 49.7 percent from the floor and 41.3 percent from three for a 55-27 Suns team that made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals.

Johnson’s main job when he’d step on the court would be to let it fly, and do that he did – pretty efficiently, at that.

1

11.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.9 apg

The aptly nicknamed Microwave Vinnie Johnson was called that thanks to his ability to come into a game off the bench and get hot quickly with his scoring. The nickname was actually given to him by Danny Ainge (via NBA.com):

It was Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, and the Pistons trailed the defending champion Boston Celtics two games to one. The Celtics were leading, 87-76, going into the fourth quarter and appeared well on their way to a commanding series lead. Johnson had other ideas. The Pistons scored 26 points in the fourth – and Johnson scored 22 of them, on his way to a then career-high 34 points on 16-of-21 shooting. Following the Pistons’ 102-99 victory, Celtics guard Danny Ainge commented on Johnson’s performance by saying, “If that guy in Chicago is the ‘Refrigerator’ then Vinnie Johnson is the ‘Microwave.’ He sure heated up in a hurry.”

From 1983-84 to 1990-91, Johnson in 649 games played and just 98 starts for the Pistons, averaged 12.8 points and 3.4 assists on 45.4 percent shooting. What Johnson lacked in size for a shooting guard at 6-foot-2, he made up for with shifty quickness, as well as with pull-up scoring ability from the midrange.

His impactful play as a reserve was a key part of the Bad Boys Pistons runs of the late ‘80s, a stretch that saw Johnson contribute to two championship runs with his hot-at-a-moments-notice bench scoring.

3

8.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 3.9 apg

Newly minted Hall of Famer Michael Cooper was a defensive specialist off the bench for the Showtime Lakers, one whose impact was so great that he even earned MVP votes twice. Although he never won Sixth Man of the Year, finishing Top 4 in the vote three times in his career, he did win Defensive Player of the Year in 1986-87 despite starting in just two games that entire season. 

Cooper is the only player in league history to win Defensive Player of the Year while starting in 10 or fewer games that season, a feat that we’re going to say will be nearly impossible to replicate in the future. And he did that as a guard/wing hybrid, not as some shot-blocking big man.

The great Larry Bird himself once dubbed Cooper the toughest defender that ever guard him (via Basketball Network):

“The best ever defensive player to guard me was Michael Cooper,” Larry said. “I’ll take that to the grave with me. He was a very intelligent defensive player, he’s very focused, and it was great to play against him…That time, I was playing some great basketball, and he was able to guard me pretty well.” … After being named the 1986-87 Defensive Player of the Year, Mike proved he’s arguably the best defender in the NBA by holding Larry under 42% from the field in four out of six games of the 1987 Finals. With Coop doing a great job on the Boston Celtics forward, the Lakers won their fourth championship of the decade.

Usually, elite Sixth Men are dubbed so for their quick scoring contributions, but Cooper was the opposite. A five-time NBA champion and eight-time All-Defender, Cooper did it in a unique way but he was still one of the best to ever do it in the NBA as a bench player.

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3

11.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 2.6 apg

Before becoming a full-time starter and three-time All-Star, Detlef Schrempf was an extremely effective bench player, one who peaked from 1989-90 to 1991-92. In those three campaigns, Schrempf averaged 16.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists on 52.4 percent shooting for three playoff teams in Indiana. Schrempf won Sixth Man of the Year back-to-back seasons and finished second in the vote in ‘90.

The season immediately after that, when Schrempf would start 60 games for the Pacers, the talented forward would become an All-Star, and just two seasons later, he’d be a 3rd Team All-NBAer. 

Schrempf had a very unique game, especially for his era, standing at 6-foot-10 but with guard-like movements thanks to his ball-handling and shooting ability. Schrempf was a smooth scorer from the midrange, who could score on fadeaways or drives to the basket, as well as drive it and finish near the rim or set up teammates for good looks.

0

13.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.3 apg

Perhaps best known for his post-playing career exploits, which saw him turn his NBA earnings into a billion-dollar-plus net worth, Junior Bridgeman was also a very solid player during his time in the Association, one who averaged 15.6 points and 3.7 rebounds over a six-year stretch in Milwaukee, mostly as a reserve. 

Bridgeman, according to Forbes, was the only former NBA player besides LeBron James, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson to have a 10-figure net worth. Bridgeman received huge praise from various NBA legends for his post-playing career financial success (via Forbes):

But unlike those four superstars, Bridgman did it the harder way—without much fanfare or international celebrity. “He didn’t waste his time just thinking about the game of basketball,” LeBron James tells Forbes. “He’s always had a business mindset. Obviously, he loved the game because he got to [the NBA]. But then he used all the resources, outlets; the connections—to his advantage and he’s built an unbelievable portfolio.” Basketball Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas needs just one word to describe Bridgeman, who played in the same era. “Legendary,” says the two-time NBA champion. “He’s the real success story. A pioneer and a great businessman.”

It was actually another former Sixth-Man great, Don Nelson, who convinced Bridgeman to accept a bench role once he took over as head coach for the Bucks in 1977-78. Bridgeman adapted to it well, contributing some scoring and playmaking off the bench for some excellent Milwaukee teams, including in ‘81 when the Bucks went 60-22 with Bridgeman averaging 16.8 points off the bench.

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3

9.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.0 apg

After receiving a lot of hype before heading to the NBA, thanks to his prior career in Europe, Toni Kukoc wound up having a solid career in the Association, doing a lot of his best work coming off the bench. A versatile 6-foot-10 wing with a guard-like game, a tight ball-handle, steady driving ability and shooting touch from the midrange and the outside, Kukoc was almost a player ahead of his time.

The Croatian wing won Sixth Man of the Year in 1995-96 when he put up 13.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists on 40.3 percent shooting from three. Kukoc put up those numbers on a Bulls team that went 72-10 in the regular season, making his production all the more impressive. Kukoc then finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting the following season but lost out on the award to Knicks guard John Starks.

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6

13.6 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 1.7 apg

Outside of two seasons, Bucks legend Ricky Pierce was pretty much an elite reserve for the entirety of his career, doing the bulk of his damage in Milwaukee and Seattle. From 1985-86 through 1990-91 Pierce averaged 18.5 points on 51.5 percent shooting, winning Sixth Man of the Year twice in that stretch and finishing in second in the vote in ‘86. 

Pierce was so effective as a reserve that in ‘91, when he split time between being with the Bucks and Sonics, he even earned All-Star honors despite starting in just two games that campaign. That makes Pierce one of just four healthy players (since ‘82) to achieve All-Star honors despite starting in five or fewer games that entire season. And really, he was one of three players to do it, as the most recent, Dwyane Wade, made it as a special honor by commissioner Adam Silver in his retirement campaign. (Alonzo Mourning, Grant Hill and Yao Ming also achieved the honor but they were all injured that season and only made it because of the fan vote.)

Regardless, Pierce was a straight bucket in his prime, a confident bucket-getter from the midrange and as a slasher. Pierce would even improve his play in the postseason, putting up over 22 playoff points per game back-to-back years in ‘89 and ‘90. All in all, Pierce was one of the most explosive bench scorers in league history.

One of the league’s original elite Sixth Men, Hall-of-Famer Frank Ramsey played nine seasons in the NBA, all with the Celtics. He contributed to seven Celtic championship teams in that span, providing scoring, including late in close games, as well as defense and rebounding off the bench. Ramsey was also a great playoff performer, peaking in 1958-59 when he put up 23.2 points and 6.2 rebounds on 49.5 percent shooting as Boston took home that year’s championship.

His lightning quick release on midrange jumpers made him the Celtics even more dangerous, and he could get hot with his shooting at a moment’s notice.

Legendary head coach and executive Red Auerbach thought that Ramsey was the most versatile player in the NBA (via UPI):

Ramsey was once described by Coach Red Auerbach as ‘the most versatile player in the NBA.’ Auerbach said Ramsey became famous ‘as a sub on a great team rather than a regular on a losing one.’

Ramsey was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1982. Considering how great of a bench player he was, modern players are lucky Sixth Man of the Year didn’t exist when Ramsey was around, because he likely would have swept the award many years in a row during his peak in Boston.

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9

12.6 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 2.8 apg

One of the most confident bucket-getters of his era, Jamal Crawford had a playground-style game, one that featured excellent off-the-dribble scoring ability and one of the tightest, and deadliest, crossovers in the league. He was also a flashy playmaker who could make exciting passes out of thin air.

Crawford would fluctuate between being a starter and coming off the bench earlier in his career before becoming almost a full-time bench player in 2009-10, his age-29 campaign. And that’s when he started to make history for acclaim as a reserve, as Crawford would go on to win three Sixth Man of the Year awards over the next seven seasons, to go with two other Top 3 finishes in the voting. That leaves Crawford tied with Williams for the most Sixth Man of the Year awards ever.

Even as a reserve, Crawford would still get buckets, as the Seattle native enjoyed a five-year stretch coming off the bench in which he averaged 16.3 points. On April 9, 2019, Crawford also made history, becoming the player with the most points scored off the bench in a single season when he dropped 51 points on 18-of-30 shooting against the Dallas Mavericks. And if you watch the highlights, the degree of difficulty on some of those looks was outrageous:

The fact that Crawford had that performance as a 39-year-old makes it all the more impressive, too. 

With the way the game is played today, it’s starting to get less likely we’ll see many more players like Crawford – guys tasked with coming off the bench to light it up with their scoring, efficient or not – or the other elite reserves we listed ahead of him. At least we’ll always have the highlights of when basketball was played with a bit more freedom.

2

10.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.1 apg

One of the most underrated players of his era, Hall of Fame power forward Bobby Jones went from being a starter early in his career to mostly – outside of one season – coming off the bench in Philadelphia, where he found a ton of success, making two All-Star appearances (one as a full-time reserve) and winning one championship with the team in 1982-83.

Jones was a winning player, one who would lay his body out without a problem in order to pick up an extra possession or two for his team. He was also quite fast getting down the court and quick with his first step. Jones was also an outstanding defender, protecting the rim, jumping passing lanes and picking pockets. In the modern era, Jones would have been an Andrei Kirilenko type, a Swiss Army knife who could do a bit of everything on offense, though nothing at an elite level, and shine even more brightly on defense thanks to his versatility… except with more speed and quickness.

Despite not being a major scorer, various legends of his era thought extremely highly of Jones (via the New York Times in 1981):

”He’s dangerous at whatever he does,” said Red Auerbach, the president and general manager of the Celtics. Opponents will rarely find the 6-foot-9-inch Jones with the ball. Instead, he is in constant motion, much the way Bill Bradley of the Knicks was in his prime. ”Bobby can complement anybody’s game,” said Erving. ”I’m learning from him. So many of the things he does are difficult for the fans to understand or appreciate. His contributions can’t always be measured by what shows up in the stats. Just Bobby’s mere court presence is enough to beat you.”

Jones’ head coach at the time, Billy Cunningham, decided during the 1979 offseason that Jones should come off the bench for the betterment of the team, but worried about how to break the news to him. According to Cunningham, he sat down with Jones to tell him his decision, and it took 30 seconds for Jones to agree: 

It did not take Jones, a slender man with dark eyes, long to get familiar with his new role. ”Since most of it is mental anyway, it only took me a couple of games to get used to coming off the bench,” said Jones. ”The only tough part was coming in cold. So, now I just try to jump right in and break a quick sweat. I try to be very aggressive, get a steal, block or a shot, do something dramatic. I have found that not starting has its advantages. It gives me a chance to analyze the flow and see what we need most when I get in there. ”There are other ways to help a team win without doing a lot of scoring. Besides the usual terms of defense, passing and rebounding, there are many helpful things that do not show in the stat sheets, like drawing a man over to you, so that your teammate gets free for the pass and shot.’

Jones being so willing to come off the bench helped make the Sixers of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s a juggernaut, as the team would go on to win 59, 62, 65 and 52 regular-season games over the next four seasons in which Jones was a reserve, including a dominant ‘83 campaign in which they won the NBA championship and lost just one game in the entire playoff run.

1

Years receiving Sixth Man of the Year votes: 5

Off the bench stats: 10.3 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 2.6 apg

“The Jet” Jason Terry, the master of the transition pull-up midrange jumper, was one of the most effective scorers from that area of his era, making a living – and a whole lot of money – consistently hitting quick pull-ups, even over good defending. 

Terry did start his career off as a starter in Atlanta and Dallas, putting up healthy marks as a scorer, but his game reached another level in 2007-08 when he moved to a bench role with the Mavericks. Terry absolutely thrived as a reserve, averaging 16.5 points and 3.6 assists on 45.1 percent shooting over a five-year stretch from ‘08 through ‘12. Dallas won 51, 50, 55 and 57 over the first four years of  that span. What’s more, in that 57-win season, the Mavericks also won an NBA championship with Terry performing magnificently off the bench, including averaging 18.0 points on 49.4 percent shooting in Dallas’ six-game victory over Miami in the Finals.

Terry finished Top 3 in Sixth Man of the Year voting five straight years in that stretch, including winning the award outright in 2008-09 and finishing second in the vote in ‘10 and ‘11.

He may have never been an All-Star, but Terry was not far off with some of his output in Dallas, posting a career that some All-Stars would envy. As Dirk Nowitzki’s bucket-getting sidekick, Terry was a force to be reckoned with off the bench during his time with the Mavericks.

Years receiving Sixth Man of the Year votes: 4

Off the bench stats: 6.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.1 apg

A starter for the first 10 years of his career on some pretty mediocre teams, Andre Iguodala basically gave that up once he got to Golden State. After his first season with the Warriors, Iguodala transitioned to a bench role for the rest of his career to play a smaller part on some of the best teams we’ve seen in NBA history. 

Iguodala wound up winning four championships during his time with the Warriors, even earning Finals MVP in 2015 over Stephen Curry, albeit somewhat controversially. Iguodala’s length, athleticism, instincts and competitiveness on both ends of the floor made him a vital sixth man during Golden State’s dynasty, as he had the versatility on both ends of the floor to take the team to the next level during his time on the floor.

Iguodala was heavily featured in the Warriors’ vaunted death lineup, one that had him playing power forward despite his lack of size for the position, with Draymond Green at center, a non-traditional lineup that would blitz teams and turn close games into blowouts in Golden State’s favor.

Iguodala’s headiness as a playmaker, his slashing, his transition speed and his occasional timely threes made him an unfair backup, and an absolute game-change for the Warriors. All in all, despite his lack of huge production as a reserve, and his zero Sixth Man of the Years awards, Iguodala still deserves credit as one of the most impactful Sixth Men the league has ever seen. 

Sixth Man of the Year awards: 2

Years receiving Sixth Man of the Year votes: 3

Off the bench stats: 14.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.3

Surprisingly enough, Celtics legend Kevin McHale only spent four seasons as a full-time starter in Boston, making his accomplishments all the more impressive. McHale made three All-Star appearances as a backup, providing Boston with elite low-post scoring, rebounding and rim-protection during their 1980s glory.

Two of Boston’s championships came with McHale playing the role of Sixth man, first in his rookie season of ‘81, and then again in ‘84. McHale once credited being a backup with some of his career success while mentioning another former Celtic Sixth Man great who will appear later in this ranking (via Celtics Wire):

“As a player, I never truly cared about starting. I wanted to play, and as sixth man I played a lot of minutes and finished the games,” added McHale. “Red would always say, ‘I can tell you who the coach likes, it’s who he starts. I can tell you who he trusts, it’s who he finishes with. And I finish with you!'” “So it was good for the team, and it was good for me as a player. And again, Red spent a lot of time reinforcing that role—not only reinforcing, but in his own way thanking you a lot for sticking with it.”

A blend of huge stats, championship accolades and a memorable post-m game, McHale is without a doubt one of the best reserves the NBA has ever seen, one who had the game to be a starter but was selfless enough to be a star in his role off the bench.

Sixth Man of the Year awards: 3

Years receiving Sixth Man of the Year votes: 9

Off the bench stats: 13.4 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 3.3 apg

Tied for most Sixth Man of the Year awards ever with three, Lou Williams was of an archetype that’s much rarer in today’s game — that of a confident bucket-getter without care for much outside of scoring. Williams was very effective in his role, averaging 18.2 points and 3.9 assists over a six-season stretch on 42.2 percent shooting.

Williams started in fewer than 10 percent of his career appearances, thriving as a scorer even despite his lack of size or elite vertical athleticism. Williams was as smooth as anyone, hitting pull-up jumpers from all over the floor, usually from the midrange but even out behind the three-point line. 

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer off the bench with 13,396 points scored as a reserve, Williams is also the only player in NBA history to make over 1,000 appearances off the bench. Williams undoubtedly is one of the best Sixth Men in league history, who did it in an almost uniquely confident way.

Sixth Man of the Year awards: 1

Years receiving Sixth Man of the Year votes: 9

Off the bench stats: 11.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.5 apg

The Spurs did a very Spurs-y thing in the 1999 NBA draft by selecting a player who ended up becoming a low-maintenance, high-quality player with a low pick. They also stashed him overseas (another very Spurs-y thing), where he became the top player in the Euroleague before making the leap to the NBA. One of the best second-round picks ever, as well as the best modern Sixth Man in league history, Manu Ginobili had one of the most unique paths to NBA stardom ever. 

Despite being a full-time starter for just three seasons of his 16-year NBA career, Ginobili still earned All-Star honors twice, as well as making two 3rd Team All-NBAs. He won four NBA championships and one Sixth Man of the Year award during his time in San Antonio.

Ginobili is one of just two players in NBA history to have an Olympic gold medal, an NBA championship and a Euroleague championship. He also led the Spurs in overall Win Shares in two separate seasons, despite sharing the floor with Tim Duncan, one of the 10 best players ever, and Tony Parker.

Blessed with one of the deadliest Euro steps in basketball during his prime, as well as the ability to score from all three levels, shoot threes, slash, create plays for others and even play timely defense, Ginobili was one of one.

Another Celtics legend who was willing to come off the bench, John Havlicek, is widely considered the greatest Sixth Man in NBA history. Although Ramsey came off the bench for the Celtics before him, it’s Havlicek who is credited with completely changing the role early in his career. 

Havlicek was a multi-faceted player who had the size of a forward in his era but played like a guard. He could score from the midrange or near the basket, he could hightail it down the court and score in transition, which those Celtics love to do, and he could rebound, as well as defend.

Havlicek spent the first seven seasons of his career coming off the bench. In that span of time, the Hall of Famer made four 2nd Team All-NBAs and four All-Star appearances while contributing mightily to six championships for Boston. Havlicek, despite clearly being good enough to be a starter by Year 2, said he never minded coming off the bench (via the NBA):

Despite Cousy’s retirement, Boston won 59 games in 1963-64 and vanquished the San Francisco Warriors in five games for the NBA crown. Havlicek made the All-NBA Second Team.  For the next five seasons, Havlicek was the best reserve in basketball. As Boston’s “supersub,” he came in at either guard or forward and was usually on the court at the end of a game. Along with Russell, Havlicek routinely played the most minutes. Havlicek didn’t mind the sixth-man role. “It never bothered me,” he once said, “because I think that role is very important to a club. One thing I learned from Red Auerbach was that it’s not who starts the game, but who finishes it, and I generally was around at the finish.”

Eventually, of course, Havlicek, being as good as he was, became a starter.

But even so, we still consider him the best Sixth Man in NBA history for his role in changing what the Sixth Man could be, a player who could end games on the court but start them on the bench, and make a star-level impact on winning on both ends as a reserve.