Sports/Olympics / NBA
Yao edges Kobe to top All-Star list
(AP)
Updated: 2006-02-03 09:38
Yao Ming edged Kobe Bryant as the top votegetter in fan balloting for the
55th NBA All-Star game Thursday, and Shaquille O'Neal became the fifth
player in league history to earn 13 consecutive selections for the
midseason showcase.
Houston Rockets' Yao Ming (11), of China, holds up the ball high after
catching an inbound pass over Milwaukee Bucks' Jiri Welsch, of the Czech
Republic, during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game Wednesday,
Feb. 1, 2006, in Houston. The Rockets won 86-84. [AP]
Yao and Tracy McGrady give the host Houston Rockets two starters in the
Feb. 19 game. They were joined on the Western Conference squad by Bryant,
San Antonio's Tim Duncan and reigning MVP Steve Nash of Phoenix �� who
will be a first-time All-Star starter.
Cleveland's LeBron James was the top Eastern Conference votegetter,
edging O'Neal by 15,155 votes. It's the second straight All-Star trip for
James, who says he's still drawing motivation from being snubbed during
his rookie season.
"What happened two years ago, that really motivated me to come out and
play even harder," James said.
Added Cleveland coach Mike Brown: "It's an honor to be around him, it's
an honor to work with him and I'm excited for him and his family because
he definitely deserves it."
Philadelphia's Allen Iverson, Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal and first-time
All-Star starter Dwyane Wade of Miami rounded out the East's starting
five.
"Hopefully, I can become a staple, like my teammate Shaq," Wade said.
"I'm grateful that NBA fans think so highly of my game."
Jermaine O'Neal will miss the game with an injury; Detroit's Rasheed
Wallace finished third in the voting among East forwards, meaning he'll
likely be a strong candidate for that starting spot. But no Pistons were
voted into the starting lineup, despite the team's 38-6 record �� the
NBA's best by a wide margin.
Yao edged Bryant by 71,107 votes for the top overall spot in the
balloting, despite missing 21 games following surgery to clean out an
infection in his left big toe. It's the fourth All-Star trip for the
7-foot-6 center from China and the eighth for Bryant, who leads the NBA
in scoring and had an 81-point effort �� the second-biggest night in NBA
history �� last month in the Los Angeles Lakers' win over Toronto.
Yao finished with 2,342,738 votes; Bryant had 2,271,631 in the closest
finish among the top two players in All-Star balloting since Vince
Carter, then of Toronto, edged Miami's Alonzo Mourning by 33,385 votes in
2000.
"It's every player's personal goal, to make the All-Star team," McGrady
said. "It's a personal accomplishment guys want to make to get a chance
to participate against the elite players. Every player in this league
wants to be there."
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