Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James continued to pile up NBA awards, adding a first team all-star selection on Wednesday to the most valuable player honors he claimed last week.
James, who also picked up an Olympic gold medal in Beijing and has his Cavaliers closing in on an NBA title after sweeping through their first two series, was a unanimous selection earning first team honors for the second consecutive year.
Joining James are Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic, Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat.
James, who guided the Cavaliers to a franchise-best 66-16 record, finished the regular season ranked second in scoring (28.4 points per game), eighth in steals (1.69) and 10th in assists (7.2).
Bryant, the 2007-08 NBA MVP, earned his seventh first team selection and fourth straight while Wade, who led the league in scoring with 30.2 points per game, makes his first appearance on the first squad.
The All-NBA second team includes Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets, Brandon Roy of the Portland Trail Blazers, Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs, Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics and Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets.
(Reuters via China Daily May 15, 2009)
