On Thursday, Boston Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon earned the 2022-23 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award. With the accolade, Brogdon managed a rare achievement.
According to ESPN Stats and Info, Brogdon is only the second player in NBA history to win both the Rookie of the Year Award and Sixth-Man honors, joining Mike Miller.
Like Miller, Brogdon earned his awards with two separate teams, having won the Rookie of the Year in 2016-17 with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Brogdon becomes the third Celtic to win the award, joining Hall of Famers Bill Walton and Kevin McHale, who won it twice.
The seven-year vet was integral to the Celtics’ success during the regular season. Fully embracing his role off the bench, Brogdon averaged 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists, playing 26 minutes per night over 67 games. He was also efficient, shooting 48.4 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from beyond the arc.
Brogdon received 60 first-place votes for Sixth Man of the Year. New York Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley finished second in the voting, receiving 34 first-place votes, followed by Bobby Portis Jr. of the Bucks with six first-place votes.
The 30-year-old’s strong play didn’t immediately translate in the postseason for Boston.
Brogdon had a poor shooting night in Game 1 against the Atlanta Hawks, shooting 1-of-6 from the floor and 0-of-3 from three, finishing with only five points. However, Brogdon bounced back in Game 2 on Tuesday, posting 15 points, eight assists and seven boards in a 119-106 win, helping the Celtics take a commanding 2-0 series advantage.
