Clippers’ Blake Griffin - NBA photo   Los Angeles Clippers’ Chris Paul - NBA photo   Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant - NBA photo   Lakers’ Andrew Bynum - NBA photo

NBA BEAT - ALL STAR GAME AN LA FAMILY AFFAIR

James Loving - National Radio Text Service

Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant Leading Vote-Getter in West; Tied for Most Consecutive All-Star Selections with 14 - -Los Angeles Clippers’ Blake Griffin, Lakers’ Andrew Bynum Voted as First-Time Starters - Clippers Griffin and Chris Paul team with Lakers Bryant and Bynum to comprise and LA family West team.

Tuesday, February 07, 2012

LA REPRESENTS

Who-da-thunk-it? It was just a few years ago that Kobe Bryant was crying his eyes out about how Lakers center Andrew Bynum didn't have the right stuff to be his teammate. That was then and this is now.... they were voted as starters on the Western Conference All-Star team.

The other weird sidebar to this story is their cross town rival LA Clippers players Chris Paul and Blake Griffin also were voted by the fans to be starters on the Western Conference side. This in itself compliments a mind-boggling year in NBA land where the Clippers are above the Lakers in the standings.

This is not a one off. During the early 90's the Clippers dominated the once proud Lakers during the Larry Brown era in making the playoffs two seasons in a row. In each season they were led by now NBA coaches Doc Rivers (Boston Celtics) and Mark Jackson (Golden State Warriors).

Again that was then and this is now so let's get down to the business at hand the NBA All Star teams for this season and then we'll go into detail about the NBA family affair.

Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard, winner of the last three NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards, is this year’s leading vote-getter in the 2012 NBA All-Star Balloting program with 1,600,390 votes. Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, a four-time All-Star MVP (2002, 2007, 2009, and 2011), is the leading vote-getter in the Western Conference with 1,555,479 votes. Bryant ties Jerry West, Karl Malone, and Shaquille O’Neal for the most consecutive All-Star nods in NBA history with 14.

The 2012 NBA All-Star Game, which will air live at 8 p.m. ET on TNT and ESPN Radio in the U.S., and reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages, will be played at Amway Center in Orlando on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012.

Joining Howard in the Eastern Conference starting lineup at the forward position are the Miami Heat’s LeBron James (1,360,680), the 2006 and 2008 All-Star Game MVP, and the New York Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony (1,041,290). The starters for the East at guard are the Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Rose (1,514,723) and the Heat’s Dwyane Wade (1,334,223), the 2010 All-Star Game MVP.

Bryant, who joins Hall of Famer Bob Pettit (1956, 1958, 1959 and 1962) as the only four-time All-Star Game MVPs in NBA history, is joined in the Western Conference starting backcourt by the Los Angeles Clippers’ Chris Paul (1,138,743). The Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kevin Durant (1,345,566) and the Clippers’ Blake Griffin (876,451), making his first All-Star Game start, are the starting forwards. The Lakers’ Andrew Bynum, a first-time All-Star, gets the nod at center (1,051,945). This marks the first time since 1997 (Houston’s Hakeem Olajuwon and Charles Barkley, and Seattle’s Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton) that two pair of teammates have been voted to start for one conference.

2012 NBA All-Star Balloting presented by Sprint allowed fans around the world the opportunity to vote daily for their favorite players as starters for the 2012 NBA All-Star Game. Fans were able cast their votes as part of this season’s all-digital program, including in 16 languages on NBA.com or by visiting m.NBA.com on any wireless carrier. Fans also had the option to vote through mobile phones. Sprint customers in the U.S. were also able to access the ballot and vote through the new “Sprint NBA Mobile” application, the most comprehensive app in the marketplace for NBA fans. All-Star Balloting also included expanded SMS voting, allowing fans in the U.S. and Canada to vote for 10 different players per day.

In selecting the reserves, the 30 NBA head coaches must vote for seven players within their conference, including two guards, two forwards, a center and two players regardless of position. Coaches are not permitted to vote for players on their team. After the coaches select the reserves, if a player is unable to participate in the All-Star Game, NBA Commissioner David Stern will select a replacement. Reserves will be announced Feb. 9, on TNT.

The East and West All-Star coaches and coaching staffs will be determined by the best record in the conference through games played Feb. 15.

NBA All-Star 2012 in Orlando will bring together some of the most talented and passionate players in the league’s history for a global celebration of the game. TNT will televise the All-Star Game for a 10th consecutive year, marking Turner Sports' 28th year of All-Star coverage. NBA All-Star Saturday Night will feature the Shooting Stars, Skills Challenge, Three-Point Contest, and Slam Dunk. Other events at NBA All-Star 2012 will include the NBA Rising Stars Challenge, NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, and NBA All-Star Jam Session. Orlando also hosted NBA All-Star in 1992.

2012 NBA ALL-STAR BALLOTING - EASTERN CONFERENCE

Forwards: LeBron James (Mia) 1,360,680; Carmelo Anthony (NYK) 1,041,290; Amar’e Stoudemire (NYK) 383,734; Kevin Garnett (Bos) 367,914; Chris Bosh (Mia) 324,605; Luol Deng (Chi) 276,205; Paul Pierce (Bos) 215,020; Carlos Boozer (Chi) 175,828; Andrea Bargnani (Tor) 152,362; Josh Smith (Atl) 119,638.

Guards: Derrick Rose (Chi) 1,514,723; Dwyane Wade (Mia) 1,334,223; Rajon Rondo (Bos) 547,110; Ray Allen (Bos) 382,147; Deron Williams (NJN) 208,697; Jose Calderon (Tor) 132,167; Richard Hamilton (Chi) 111,368; John Wall (Was) 96,606; Kyrie Irving (Cle) 96,346; Joe Johnson (Atl) 66,145.

Centers: Dwight Howard (Orl) 1,600,390; Joakim Noah (Chi) 236,497; Tyson Chandler (NYK) 163,077; Joel Anthony (Mia) 101,307; JaVale McGee (Was) 63,765; Al Horford (Atl) 50,396. 2012

NBA ALL-STAR BALLOTING - WESTERN CONFERENCE

Forwards: Kevin Durant (OKC) 1,345,566; Blake Griffin (LAC) 876,451; Pau Gasol (LAL) 470,353; Dirk Nowitzki (Dal) 468,435; Kevin Love (Min) 373,880; LaMarcus Aldridge (Por) 279,500; Tim Duncan (SA) 185,069; Lamar Odom (Dal) 142,830; Danilo Gallinari (Den) 110,245; Rudy Gay (Mem) 95,228.

Guards: Kobe Bryant (LAL) 1,555,479; Chris Paul (LAC) 1,138,743; Ricky Rubio (Min) 397,456; Steve Nash (Pho) 276,268; Russell Westbrook (OKC) 262,186; Kyle Lowry (Hou) 185,584; Monta Ellis (GS) 156,603; Chauncey Billups (LAC) 120,961; Jason Kidd (Dal) 114,924; Manu Ginobili (SA) 111,273.

Centers: Andrew Bynum (LAL) 1,051,945; DeAndre Jordan (LAC) 322,056; Marc Gasol (Mem) 285,525; Nenê (Den) 207,102; Marcin Gortat (Pho) 136,168; Kendrick Perkins (OKC) 99,811.

Continued Part 2 : NBA FAMILY TIES