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| China's giant centre Yao Ming, seen here in
2004, continues to lead the balloting for the National Basketball
Association all-star game, receiving 2,558,278 votes in the last
returns announced. (AFP) |
Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets received a record 2,558,278 votes in
winning the starting spot at center for the NBA's Western Conference
All-Star team for the third straight year.
He will line up alongside Minnesota's Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan of San
Antonio, the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant and Houston's Tracy McGrady
at the All-Star game on Feb. 20 in Denver.
Shaquille O'Neal's 2,488,089 votes were the second
highest in All-Star balloting
history, the NBA said on Thursday in announcing the starters.
The previous record was 2,451,136 for Michael Jordan of the Chicago
Bulls in 1997.
Grant Hill of the Orlando Magic edged the Indiana Pacers' Jermaine
O'Neal by slightly more than 65,000 votes for a starting spot on the
Eastern Conference team for the 54th version of the league's showcase
event.
Hill received 1,497,489 votes in fan balloting to O'Neal's 1,432,438,
allowing him to join Shaquille O'Neal, Allen Iverson, Vince Carter and
LeBron James as the starting five for the East.
More than 6 million votes were cast in worldwide All-Star balloting, a
14 percent increase from a year ago, the NBA said.
Shaquille O'Neal will be a starter for the first time since 2002 after
being outpolled by China's Yao the past two years when both were in the
Western Conference.
"If you look at how he got all those votes, it's not difficult,''
O'Neal said.
"You can't compete with that, because where he's from, there's a
billion people. I don't know how many people there (are) where I'm from.
All them billions probably love him over there. They don't love me over
there.''
James, the Cleveland Cavaliers' 20-year-old
phenomenon, will be the only first-time All-Star among the 10 starters.
Shaquille O'Neal was selected to his 12th All-Star team, Garnett to his eighth; Bryant, Duncan and Hill to their
seventh, Carter and Iverson to their sixth, and McGrady to his fifth.
Stan Van Gundy of the Miami Heat will coach the East team, while the
West will be led by the coach of the team with the conference's best
record following Sunday's games.
San Antonio's Gregg Popovich and Phoenix's Mike D'Antoni are the
leading candidates.
(Agencies) | 
Updated: 2005-02-04 10:08