NEW YORK, Jan. 9 – Kobe Bryant, from the three-time defending NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers and Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets lead all players in the Western Conference, and Toronto’s Vince Carter and Orlando’s Tracy McGrady lead all players in the Eastern Conference in votes received after the third returns in the 2003 NBA All-Star Balloting program.

The fans, through the 2003 NBA All-Star Balloting program, will determine starters for the 2003 NBA All-Star Game, to be played at Philips Arena in Atlanta on Sunday, February 9. The game will be broadcast live on TNT, Rogers Sportsnet, ESPN radio and audio in several languages on NBA.com (http://www.nba.com) at 8 p.m. ET.

Kobe Bryant leads the Western Conference All-Star voting.
Catherine Steenkeste
NBAE/Getty Images
Bryant leads all players with 1,148,754 votes. Following Bryant at the guard position in the Western Conference is Houston’s Steve Francis (778,518). Houston’s Yao Ming leads all West centers with 1,015,018 votes, followed by Los Angeles Lakers’ Shaquille O’Neal (784,920). San Antonio’s Tim Duncan (906,446) and Minnesota’s Kevin Garnett (854,811) lead all West forwards.

Carter leads all Eastern Conference players with 1,023,750 votes. He is followed at the forward position by Indiana’s Jermaine O’Neal (694,174). Detroit’s Ben Wallace leads all Eastern Conference centers with 850,714, followed by New Jersey’s Dikembe Mutombo (468,245), while Orlando’s Tracy McGrady leads all East guards with 1,016,123 votes, followed by Philadelphia’s Allen Iverson (902,754).

NBA All-Star Balloting began on November 14 providing fans with the opportunity to vote in more ways than ever with Best Buy and 989 Sports joining existing balloting partners Sprite, America Online, Reebok and Champs Sports. In addition to being distributed in all 29 NBA arenas, fans can vote at more than 1,000 retail locations including Champ Sports and Best Buy Stores and online at NBA.com and America Online (AOL Keyword: NBA.com). Directions for NBA All-Star Ballots are also available for the first time in 11 different languages on NBA.com In addition, to AOL’s online ballot, the balloting partners provide links to the NBA.com All-Star Ballot from their homepages.

Balloting for this year’s All-Star Game will continue through January 12 with the announcement of the All-Star starters on Thursday, January 23. After the fan voting is completed and the starters are announced, the head coaches in each conference will vote to determine the remaining All-Stars in their respective conferences.

Attached are the leaders among the Eastern and Western Conference players in the third return of the 2003 NBA All-Star voting program:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Forwards: Vince Carter (Tor) 1,023,750; Jermaine O’Neal (Ind) 694,174; Grant Hill (Orl) 672,679; Antoine Walker (Bos) 396,369; Kenyon Martin (NJ) 316,832; Shareef Abdur-Rahim (Atl) 201,180; Latrell Sprewell (NY) 198,852; Darius Miles (Cle) 190,153; Keith Van Horn (Phi) 176,576; Richard Jefferson (NJ) 171,093.

Guards: Tracy McGrady (Orl) 1,016,123; Allen Iverson (Phi) 902,754; Michael Jordan (Was) 795,481; Jason Kidd (NJ) 731,811; Paul Pierce (Bos) 245,167; Ray Allen (Mil) 193,833; Jerry Stackhouse (Was) 126,413; Reggie Miller (Ind) 125,812; Ricky Davis (Cle) 119,962; Baron Davis (NO) 118,840.

Centers: Ben Wallace (Det) 854,714; Dikembe Mutombo (NJ) 468,245; Zydrunas Ilgauskas (Cle) 238,418; Antonio Davis (Tor) 173,692; Brad Miller (Ind) 165,556; Brian Grant (Mia) 123,978; Theo Ratliff (Atl) 98,696; Todd MacCulloch (Phi) 97,205; Tony Battie (Bos) 93,837; Kurt Thomas (NY) 67,320.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Forwards: Tim Duncan (SA) 906,446; Kevin Garnett (Min) 854,811; Dirk Nowitzki (Dal) 814,457; Chris Webber (Sac) 667,228; Peja Stojakovic (Sac) 198,255; Elton Brand (LAC) 184,211; Pau Gasol (Mem) 168,711; Scottie Pippen (Por) 146,733; Rasheed Wallace (Por) 135,115; Robert Horry (LAL) 131,975.

Guards: Kobe Bryant (LAL) 1,148,754; Steve Francis (Hou) 778,518; Steve Nash (Dal) 575,911; Mike Bibby (Sac) 413,209; Gary Payton (Sea) 405,288; Michael Finley (Dal) 333,111; Tony Parker (San) 133,490; John Stockton (Uta) 133,349; Cuttino Mobley (Hou) 131,919; Doug Christie (Sac) 130,254.

Centers: Yao Ming (Hou) 1,015,018; Shaquille O’Neal (LAL) 784,920; Vlade Divac (Sac) 235,536; David Robinson (SA) 181,915; Raef LaFrentz (Dal) 130,465; Michael Olowokandi (LAC) 97,614; Arvydas Sabonis (Por) 64,178; Marcus Camby (Den) 53,994; Erick Dampier (GS) 40,998; Radoslav Nesterovic (Min) 28,154.

TOP 10 OVERALL
Kobe Bryant (LAL) 1,148,754
Vince Carter (Tor) 1,023,750
Tracy McGrady (Orl) 1,016,123
Yao Ming (Hou) 1,015,018
Tim Duncan (SA) 906,446
Allen Iverson (Phi) 902,754
Kevin Garnett (Min) 854,811
Ben Wallace (Det) 850,714
Dirk Nowitzki (Dal) 814,457
Michael Jordan (Was) 795,481