MINNEAPOLIS — Fellow LSU star Shaquille O'Neal opened the sealed envelope Wednesday and read the NBA's 2024 Sixth Man of the Year winner on national television: Timberwolves forward Naz Reid.

He's the first player in Wolves history to win the award and only the third player undrafted — out of LSU, via New Jersey — to win it, joining only Darrell Armstrong (1999) and John Starks (1997).

Reid edged Sacramento guard Malik Monk by a mere 10 points — 352 to 342 — in voting chosen by a panel of reporters and broadcasters who cover the league. Milwaukee's Bobby Portis finished a distant third. Ballots were due at regular season's end, before last week's play-in tournament.

In doing so, Reid won the John Havlicek Trophy named after the Boston Celtics' Hall of Famer.

The decision was announced on TNT's playoff pregame show, with Reid interviewed by the studio crew of O'Neal, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley and host Ernie Johnson on video conference.

Reid was surrounded off camera by family members and credited them, his teammates, fans and others close to him, including his late mentor, Rudy Roundtree.

"We're all excited," Reid said.

When asked who helped him get to this honor in his career, Reid said "Everybody around me. Everybody played a part of my life. There were situations where things were going up and down, Rudy helped guide me in situations I didn't think I'd make it out of.

"I'm blessed to be in this situation."

Reid, 24, averaged 13.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists in this, his fifth NBA season. He played 81 of the team's 82 games, and 67 of them were off the bench to provide defense, strength and 3-point shooting. He started 14 times, most of them when fellow big man Karl-Anthony Towns was injured in the season's final month.

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