NBA News: Suns Trio, Three First-time All-Stars Named Reserves

The 14 players selected were chosen by the 30 NBA head coaches.

Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash.

NEW YORK - The Phoenix Suns trio of two-time Most Valuable Player Steve Nash, Shawn Marion and Amaré Stoudemire lead the list of 14 players that have been selected by the coaches as reserves for the 2007 NBA All-Star Game which will be played on Sunday, Feb. 18th at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

Joining the three Suns as Western Conference reserves are first-time All-Star forward Carlos Boozer of the Utah Jazz, Allen Iverson of the Denver Nuggets, Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks and Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs.

Two Eastern Conference players are also making their initial All-Star appearance as forwards Caron Butler of the Washington Wizards and Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic has each been invited to Las Vegas.

Guards Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton of the Detroit Pistons and Jason Kidd of the New Jersey Nets, forwards Vince Carter of the New Jersey Nets and Jermaine O’Neal of the Indiana Pacers also were named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team.

The 14 players selected -- seven each from the Eastern and Western Conferences -- were chosen by the 30 NBA head coaches, who were asked to vote for seven players in their respective conferences -- two guards, two forwards, one center and two players regardless of position.

They were not permitted to vote for players from their own team.

Previously selected as starters for the East through the 2007 NBA All-Star Balloting Program presented by T-Mobile were Cleveland’s LeBron James, Miami’s Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane Wade, Toronto’s Chris Bosh and Washington’s Gilbert Arenas.

Houston’s Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, Minnesota’s Kevin Garnett and San Antonio’s Tim Duncan will start for the West.

The selections of Nash (Canada), Nowitzki (Germany) and Parker (France) along with voted-starters Duncan (U.S. Virgin Islands) and Yao (China), gives the 2007 NBA All-Star Game five international players.

Should any player be unable to participate in the All-Star Game due to injury, NBA Commissioner David Stern will select the replacement.

Phoenix head coach Mike D’Antoni and the Suns’ coaching staff will be on the sidelines for the Western Conference All-Stars, as they previously clinched the best winning percentage through games of Feb. 4th among eligible Western Conference teams for the All-Star coaching honors.

The Eastern Conference Coach is yet to be determined with the coaching staffs of the Washington Wizards (27-18, .600) and Cleveland Cavaliers (26-19, .578) still in contention.

The NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 18th, will air live on TNT and ESPN Radio beginning at 8:00 PM EST.

The game will also be telecast in over 200 countries and broadcast on NBA.com.

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