Jordan Clarkson got quite the surprise during his joint interview with Utah Jazz teammate Joe Ingles on TNT on Monday. Ahead of the awarding of the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year trophy, Clarkson and Ingles were being interviewed by TNT host Ernie Johnson when something unexpected occurred.
Johnson asked both Clarkson and Ingles how many Jazz players had won the Sixth Man of the Year award, with Clarkson saying none and Ingles saying one. The two looked at each other before Ingles pointed to Clarkson, indicating that his teammate had won the award.
It’s an incredibly touching and heartwarming moment between Clarkson and Ingles, as the former was in overwhelmed disbelief while the latter was overjoyed to hype up his teammate.
Joe Ingles hands Jordan Clarkson the #KiaSixth Man of the Year trophy 🎶 pic.twitter.com/pamxUATDqb
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 24, 2021
Both Clarkson and Ingles were, in fact, nominated for the award together, as was New York Knicks guard Derrick Rose. However, Clarkson received 65 first place votes to finish at the top while Ingles received 34 first place votes and finished in second. It is also the first time that two teammates went one-two in voting for the Sixth Man of the Year award.
The NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award is given to the league’s best performing player for his team coming off the bench as a substitute. This year, Clarkson averaged a career-high 18.4 points, 4 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 68 games this season as the Jazz secured the top spot in the Western Conference.
What a moment between two teammates!
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