Howard tops balloting for 2009 NBA All-Star Game

EASTERN CONFERENCE STARTERS LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers King James and the Cavs are undefeated at home and running away with the Central Division. LeBron (27.8 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 6.8 apg) is working on another season for the ages.  WATCH VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics KG and the Boston Three Party have rebounded nicely from their early-January hiccup. Garnett (16.1 ppg, 9.2 rpg) continues to deliver whatever it takes to win.  WATCH VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic Superman never looked this good. The double-double factory is racking up stats (20.2 ppg, 14.1 rpg, 3.2 bpg) while Orlando piles up the wins.  WATCH VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS Allen Iverson, Detroit Pistons No longer a one-man show or half of a dynamic duo, AI (17.9 ppg, 5.4 apg) is blending his considerable skills into an ensemble cast that's used to winning big.  WATCH VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat D-Wade is healthy and hungry and refocused. He's back among the league leaders in scoring (28.8 ppg) and Miami is back in the East playoff hunt.  WATCH VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard, this year's leading vote-getter in the NBA All-Star Balloting program presented by T-Mobile with 3,150,181 votes, became the first player in balloting history to crack the 3 million-vote ceiling. Howard, who is making his third All-Star appearance, will start as the Eastern Conference's center for the second time in his career.

Through the 2009 NBA All-Star Balloting program, fans worldwide were responsible for voting in the starters for the 58th NBA All-Star Game, which will be played in Phoenix on Sunday, Feb. 15. The game will air live (8 p.m. ET) on TNT, ESPN Radio and in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. The NBA All-Star Game was played in Phoenix in both 1975 and 1995.

Four other starters for this year's All-Star Game each eclipsed the previous record of 2,558,278 votes received by Houston's Yao Ming in 2004-05: Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (2,940,823), Los Angeles guard Kobe Bryant (2,805,397), Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (2,741,413) and San Antonio forward Tim Duncan (2,578,168).

Joining Howard, James and Wade in the Eastern Conference starting lineup are Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett (2,066,833), last year's top vote-getter and the 2003 All-Star MVP, and Detroit Pistons guard Allen Iverson, the 2001 and 2005 All-Star Game MVP. James, who was the leading vote-getter in 2006-07 as well as the 2006 and 2008 All-Star Game MVP, and Wade each will make his fifth midseason classic appearance. Iverson will appear in his ninth All-Star Game. Among active players, Garnett's 12th All-Star selection ranks second to Phoenix Suns center Shaquille O'Neal (14).

WESTERN CONFERENCE STARTERS

Yao Ming, Houston Rockets In Houston's first half of uncertainty, Yao (19.9 ppg, 9.6 rpg) has been a 7-foot-6 rock. Where would the Rockets be without him?  WATCH VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS Amar'e Stoudemire, Phoenix Suns Anyway you spell it, he's back. Phoenix's leading scorer (21.3 ppg) is bound to give the hometown fans a special treat come February.  WATCH VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs If efficient is boring, winning must be too. San Antonio's anchor is putting together another stellar campaign (20.4 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 3.5 apg) without much fanfare.  WATCH VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers His team is cruising in the West and Kobe (26.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 5.2 apg) is doing the same. Could No. 24 be headed to a second straight MVP?  WATCH VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets CP3 will have something to say in the MVP votes. The do-it-all quarterback leads the league in assists (11.0) and steals (2.7), while scoring 21.2 ppg.  WATCH VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

Bryant, the youngest All-Star in NBA history in 1998 as well as a two-time All-Star Game MVP (2002, 2007), and Duncan, who is making his 11th appearance and was the co-MVP along with Shaquille O'Neal of the 2000 All-Star Game, are joined in the Western Conference starting lineup by New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul (2,134,798), Phoenix Suns forward Amar'e Stoudemire (1,460,429) and Houston Rockets center Yao Ming (2,532,958). Paul will make his second All-Star Game appearance; Stoudemire his fourth; and Yao his sixth.

In selecting the reserves, the 30 NBA head coaches 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.

Los Angeles Lakers Head Coach Phil Jackson and the Lakers coaching staff earned the honor to coach the Western Conference All-Stars by clinching the best winning percentage in the conference through games of Feb. 1. The Eastern Conference Coach is yet to be determined. Last year's East All-Star coach -- Boston's Doc Rivers -- is not eligible to coach this year.

Howard, James, Bryant, Wade, Duncan and the rest of year's All-Star participants will join members of the NBA Family for the NBA Cares All-Star Day of Service on Friday, Feb. 13. The volunteers will participate in one of three projects in the Phoenix community.

As the presenting partner of the 2009 NBA All-Star Balloting program, and in support of the NBA's season-long effort to better the various communities in Phoenix, T-Mobile will donate $1 for every ballot cast on t-zones, T-Mobile's wireless Web portal, to help the youth of Phoenix. The week leading up to the 58th NBA All-Star Game will feature a full slate of community-enhancing activities and fan festivals, such as NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas and the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam on Friday, Feb. 13.

In conjunction with All-Star Balloting, 2K Sports will give fans the opportunity to experience Phoenix and the best of basketball by entering the NBA 2K9 Sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip to NBA All-Star 2009 and to have their likeness as a digitized player incorporated in next year's game, NBA 2K10.

NBA All-Star 2009 is a week-long celebration that enables fans to experience the thrill of the world's greatest athletes playing the game they love and features a full slate of community-enhancing activities and fan festivals such as NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas.

2009 NBA ALL-STAR BALLOTING

The final results of balloting in the Western Conference for the 2009 NBA All-Star Game in Phoenix.

Forwards Player Votes Tim Duncan (SA) 2,578,168 Amare Stoudemire (Pho) 1,460,429 Bruce Bowen (SA) 1,392,398 Ron Artest (Hou) 1,362,565 Carmelo Anthony (Den) 1,337,519 Dirk Nowitzki (Dal) 1,107,926 Pau Gasol (LAL) 948,301 Shane Battier (Hou) 694,112 LaMarcus Aldridge (Por) 497,550 Luis Scola (Hou) 405,851 Josh Howard (Dal) 298,810 Guards Player Votes Kobe Bryant (LAL) 2,805,397 Chris Paul (NO) 2,134,798 Tracy McGrady (Hou) 1,678,516 Manu Ginobili (SA) 1,642,350 Tony Parker (SA) 1,084,361 Steve Nash (Pho) 677,211 Jamal Crawford (GS) 665,038 Rafer Alston (Hou) 550,199 Jason Kidd (Dal) 477,792 Brandon Roy (Por) 468,688 Chauncey Billups (Den) 466,073. Centers Player Votes Yao Ming (Hou) 2,532,958 Shaquille ONeal (Pho) 1,850,018 Andrew Bynum (LAL) 549,131 Mehmet Okur (Utah) 437,106 Greg Oden (Por) 359,318 Andris Biedrins (GS) 357,984 Al Jefferson (Minn) 310,643 Tyson Chandler (NO) 242,356 Chris Kaman (LAC) 231,928 Marcus Camby (LAC) 158,491 Nick Collison (OKC) 154,309

2009 NBA ALL-STAR BALLOTING

The final results of balloting in the Eastern Conference for the 2009 NBA All-Star Game in Phoenix.

Forwards Player Votes LeBron James (Clev) 2,940,823 Kevin Garnett (Bos) 2,066,833 Yi Jianlian (NJ) 1,813,829 Paul Pierce (Bos) 1,238,763 Chris Bosh (Tor) 1,101,052 Hedo Turkoglu (Orl) 632,051 Shawn Marion (Mia) 405,573 Danny Granger (Ind) 365,810 Josh Smith (Atl) 321,129 Tayshaun Prince (Det) 274,540 Michael Beasley (Mia) 273,471 Guards Player Votes Dwyane Wade (Mia) 2,741,413 Allen Iverson (Det) 1,804,649 Vince Carter (NJ) 1,239,613 Devin Harris (NJ) 1,182,406 Luke Ridnour (Mil) 1,039,902 Ray Allen (Bos) 851,205 Gilbert Arenas (Wash) 635,540 Derrick Rose (Chi) 474,384 Jose Calderon (Tor) 445,584 Joe Johnson (Atl) 420,210 Jameer Nelson (Orl) 354,773 Centers Player Votes Dwight Howard (Orl) 3,150,181 Kendrick Perkins (Bos) 621,709 Rasheed Wallace (Det) 402,991 Samuel Dalembert (Phi) 396,119 Andrew Bogut (Mil) 357,997 Jermaine ONeal (Tor) 342,723 Al Horford (Atl) 323,302 Brendan Haywood (Wash) 291,490 Ben Wallace (Clev) 263,862 Zydrunas Ilgauskas (Cle) 219,697 Emeka Okafor (Char) 212,539

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