Reigning Sixth Man of the Year features SLAM 251

Two words. Naz Reid.

SLAM 251 featuring Naz Reid is available now.

The name of the Sixth Man of the Year represents more than just a name at this time. Naz Reid has become a greeting among Minnesota Timberwolves fans outside of home games. It turned into a stream of car horns outside Parkway Pizza in Northeast Minneapolis with the now famous “Honk If You Love Naz Reid” sign sitting right outside. It turned the seats of the Target Center into a beach day with Naz Reid towels in late March. Hundreds of yard signs were seen plastered with his face covered in grass throughout the greater Minneapolis area.

The word a Danger competition cat. It has even become the first tattoo of everyone from 18-year-olds to 82-year-old grandmothers. Naz Reid has captured the Timberwolves fan base and the greater NBA community. No explanation, no detailed information. This is a summary of if you know, you know. And trust us, after this past season, everyone and their mother, too theirs Mom, you know about the rise of Naz Reid.

But at first, Naz didn't think the ink was real.

After the Timberwolves took down the Denver Nuggets by 26 points in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals — with 14 points, 5 boards, 4 blocks and 4 threes from the man himself — two lifelong Wolves fans and fans at Beloved Studios in Roseville, MN. , set the stage for recent news of public acclaim.

At 12:29 am on May 7, tattoo artist JC Stroebel tweeted, “Will tattoo 'Naz Reid' on anyone for $20. I'm dead serious.”

Hundreds of requests followed.

“It was crazy. I think an 82-year-old woman was the first person I saw, and the list goes on, I think it's 200 and more,” Naz told SLAM. “Until I was in a barbershop one day, two kids walked in. [and] my name was their first tattoo. So, that was crazy to hear. Definitely super interesting. It's obviously something you dream about as a kid, to have that kind of fan base and there's a lot of excitement around your name.”

From the back of the tricep to the lower thigh just above the kneecap, that joy is permanently displayed in Times New Roman font. The feeling was surreal, in the words of the Nazis.

His name has become a household name among small-market fans eager for a return to prominence. Yes, the Timberwolves have a real star in Anthony Edwards, alongside All-Stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert in the paint. But it's the versatile 6-9 New Jersey native with the bag of a point guard who has completely won over the hearts and minds of Timberwolves fans. And that's the reason he's on this cover.

Naz Reid is Minnesota's unsung hero. Her confidence is on full display as soon as she walks into a rented gym in Las Vegas for her first SLAM cover photo shoot. Summer League games take place just a few miles away, but Naz suits up at midnight in blue and white Timberwolves stripes with contrasting “Reverse Grinch” Kobe 6s on his feet as we crank out the sound. He ignores the record 116-degree heat waiting just outside.

Reid is only the third undrafted player to win the Sixth Man of the Year Award—joining John Starks and Darrell Armstrong—and the first Timberwolves player to take home the honor. His 13.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game on 41 percent three-point shooting weren't just a bump from years past. The 2023-24 season served as his arrival as a full-time L.

“This is the craziest thing I've ever seen, especially this past season the way we got to the Western Conference finals,” Naz said of Minnesota's culture. “It's been crazy. We have posters everywhere, chalk on the floor everywhere. It's very exciting. It's definitely something we're looking forward to for years to come.”

If you were to dive into the truth of why Timberwolves fans have such a deep love for the stoic 25-year-old, the surprising answer might be the relevance of his journey. And definitely the way he walks with the rock.

It's the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs and the Wolves are leading by 17 points over the Phoenix Suns. With 9:53 left in the fourth quarter, the Naz scoop up the loose ball and start a turnover. A duo of inside and outside dribbles follows, keeping Eric Gordon from confidently planting his back foot. As Naz finished the second move with the ball, he hit it wide of his right shoulder, high above Gordon's head, for a fluid pro hop. Time stands still for a moment, as he puts it on his chest and Bradley Beal steps in to enter the contest. Except this is Big Jelly we are talking about. With ease and precision, Naz pulls his momentum to the left side of the basket and puts the ball on the glass and through the net with a clean rebound to the right.

This typical display of basketball prowess sent the home crowd into a frenzy, but for those in Asbury Park, NJ, it reminded us of the days when Naz was cooking at Roselle Catholic and throwing highlight after highlight as an official member of the Jelly Fam.

“That's just my journey. I've been doing that for a long time,” said Naz about his good walking. “I think the Jersey guys have changed more than a lot of people. We just bring a different kind of swag and game to any move we make. That's just the way we roll. You think of all the guards that have been in the NBA or close to the NBA. You have Kyrie Irving, Isaiah Briscoe, Kyle Anderson; you've got a lot of guys that are changing and going with a different kind of swag. I think that's how we roll and where we come from.”

Looking back to the days when high school events ushered in a new era in hoops culture, Naz now appreciates the impact being surrounded by guys like Jahvon Quinerly, Atiba Taylor and Luther Muhammad had on his game. “Everything has translated and moved from what it was then to now,” Reid said.

Twenty-seven points, 6 rebounds and 7 threes against Dallas in mid-December. 31-piece boards and 11 while shooting 75 percent from the field in early April dub vs. Lakers. Twenty-three points on 78% three-point shooting in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.

From Roselle Catholic to Minneapolis, Naz combined guard-like fluidity and speed with the size and skills of a stretch big. He punishes low-post collisions with surgical footwork and hook shots while elbowing slower opponents. He hits three corner kicks before his defender even realizes he's left the paint. And he thrives, absolutely thrives, in whatever position head coach Chris Finch puts him in.

“We had consecutive players last year when I had three players. “We had great players, so that's something I've been working on and I'm still working on,” said Naz. “Time will tell, but I can move to 3, 4 or 5 in this League. So, I will continue to work on it and continue to expand my role.”

In that starting role in the pine, Naz recorded the most consistent season of his career in '23-24. Fourteen 20-plus games in the regular season after recording career highs from deep. And his instincts to protect themselves began to shine. With No. 11 down, the Timberwolves recorded a league-best defensive rating of 107.9. The infamous Game 2 that featured a slew of tattoos saw the Naz put on a defensive masterclass. In the first half alone, he fouled Jamal Murray twice, then denied Nikola Jokic with two shots.

Before the '23-24 season, Naz signed a three-year, $42 million extension with the Timberwolves. The deal was five years of hard work in the making.

His illustrious rise from Jersey to LSU wasn't met with the same enthusiasm he expected when he set his sights on the NBA. After one season in Baton Rouge, the 6-9 forward went undrafted in 2019.

His 13.6 points and 7.2 rebounds during that season were enough to earn SEC All-Freshman team honors, but the League wasn't biting. Concerns about his draft performance and size were highlighted.

“It just made me very hungry. It was like a rose, it changed to where I was being hunted, now I am hunting at that time,” Naz told SLAM. “In high school, I was a standout, five-star, McDonald's All American, things like that, where I had to grind to be in a position where I had to compete with other high-level, high-level players. writings and things of that nature. So [I was] I put myself in that hunting perspective.”

Over the past five seasons, the Naz have been chasing more minutes, more shots, defensive assignments and more responsibility. In every job he finds himself in, he has improved. Dialing in certain issues—who he works with, his daily routine, even what time he goes to bed at night—all of his habits depend on how things go next season. Consistency in his role, in his growth, “that's just the key to the sauce, honesty.”

As a result, the fame, outpouring of love and appreciation he has received has reached yet another high. From influencing an entire generation with the way they put the ball as a 17-year-old to the cult following his name in the League, Naz has been dealing with many waves of disappointment over the years.

“I consider it second hand and anything that fits me when I put in the work I put in, I'm happy to have it,” said Naz. “Obviously, I'm really humbled to have all that. I think as everyone should at the professional level, take that along with the bumps and bruises. Just be yourself and play your game. “

Standing in front of a seamless blue backdrop that lets the aurora green pop through his shorts, Naz holds the infamous “Naz Reid” towel stretched across his back. That night on March 22 was his favorite this past season. As the 18,000 faithful spread towels throughout the arena, the Naz dropped 18 points en route to a 13-point victory over the Cavaliers. He says: “That time was the time when I really had to step in.” “I can't really explain how much I treasured that moment and how happy and wanted and loved it made me feel.”

So we asked him to expand on that gratitude, to speak directly to the fans. From Naz to Timberwolves fans, NAZ REID the cat and those who got his name in ink, here is his message:

“Thank you all boys. You guys have seen me come to work since the first day, from the time I signed twice where I am until now,” said Naz. “I think everyone knows how much work and dedication I can do as well [the] the aspirations I put in to get to where I am now. It won't stop now. This is just the beginning.”

Photos by Erik Isakson. Action photos via Getty Images.