LOS ANGELES: Kobe Bryant and LeBron James received what is expected to be many happy returns.
Bryant of the defending NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers, and reigning league Most Valuable Player LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers were the top vote-getters in their respective Western and Eastern Conferences, after the second returns of the NBA All-Star balloting was released on Thursday.
Bryant, a three-time All-Star MVP, who shared last year’s honors with Shaquille O’Neal, is the overall leader with 1,380,383 votes.
Meanwhile, “King James,” a two-time All-Star MVP, is second overall with 1,351,292.
Bryant is joined at guard by Phoenix Suns’ floor leader Steve Nash (546,064) who jumped ahead of Houston Rockets’ Tracy McGrady.
Denver Nuggets’ Carmelo Anthony, currently the league’s leading scorer, heads the West forward (1,204,234 votes), while German wunderkind Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks is (668,243) second.
The Suns’ Amar’e Stoudemire (950,737) is tops among Western Conference centers.
In the East, Boston Celtics’ Kevin Garnett, MVP of the 2003 All-Star Game with 1,113,213 votes, joins James at the other forward spot. Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade (1,314,215) and Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76ers hold down the guard positions, receiving 1,314,215 and 635,084 votes, respectively.
Iverson, who has shot up from the sixth spot, appears among Western Conference paper ballot, but because he began the season with Memphis, his votes count toward the Eastern Conference due to his signing with the Sixers on December 3.
Last year’s leading vote getter Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic rounds out the East starting five at center with 1,252,786 tallies.
Paper balloting by fans worldwide will continue through January 10, and wireless voting on NBA.com will run through January 18 before the results are announced on Jan. 21.
On Jan. 28, the head coaches in each conference will vote to determine the remaining All-Stars in their respective conference.
The 59th NBA All-Star Game is to be played on February 14 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, before more than 80,000 fans. It would be the largest crowd to ever witness a basketball game.
