NBA: Phoenix Duo Highlights All-NBA First Team

For the second straight season, Kobe Bryant led the NBA in scoring with 31.6 points per contest.

A unanimous selection, Steve Nash, earns NBA First Team honors for the third straight season. He led the NBA in assists during the regular season with a career-high 11.6 per game.

NEW YORK - Phoenix guard and two-time defending NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash and Suns center Amaré Stoudemire are the first teammates since the L.A. Lakers’ Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal in 2003-04 to be named to the First Team, as the NBA announced the 2006-07 All-NBA Teams today.

Joining Nash at guard on the First Team is Bryant, the NBA’s leading scorer during the regular season. San Antonio’s Tim Duncan and Dallas’ Dirk Nowitzki join Stoudemire in the frontcourt.

A unanimous selection, Nash, who earns First Team honors for the third straight season, led the NBA in assists during the regular season with a career-high 11.6 per game. He became the first NBA player to average at least 18 points (18.6) and 11 assists since Magic Johnson in 1990-91. Nash recorded 15 or more assists 16 times during the regular season.

Stoudemire averaged 20.4 points and a career-high 9.6 rebounds for the Pacific Division champion Suns. He ranked second among NBA centers in scoring behind only Houston’s Yao Ming and was one of only three NBA players (Utah’s Carlos Boozer, the L.A. Clippers Elton Brand) ranked in the top 20 in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage (.575).

Nowitzki, who also makes his third straight First Team appearance, led the Mavericks to an NBA-best 67-15 regular-season record. He averaged 24.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, a career-high 3.4 assists, and set a new personal best for three-point percentage (.416). He finished the regular season as the only player in the NBA to shoot 50 percent from the field (.502), 40 percent from three-point range and 90 percent from the free throw line (.904).

For the second straight season, Bryant led the NBA in scoring with 31.6 points per contest, while posting 5.7 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game to earn his fifth All-NBA First Team selection. He became just the second player in NBA history to score 50 or more points in four straight games when he tallied 65 vs. Portland on March 16th, 50 vs. Minnesota on March 18th, 60 at Memphis on March 22nd, and 50 at New Orleans/Oklahoma City on March 23rd.

Duncan earns his ninth First Team selection, the most of any active player, with averages of 20.0 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists. His 1,599 points this season were the most since he scored 1,884 in 2002-03. He scored in double figures 78 times during the regular season.

The All-NBA Second Team consists of Washington’s Gilbert Arenas and Houston’s Tracy McGrady at guard; Cleveland’s LeBron James and Toronto’s Chris Bosh, who makes his first career All-NBA team, at forward; and Houston’s Yao at center.

The All-NBA Third Team includes Miami’s Dwyane Wade and Detroit’s Chauncey Billups at guard; Minnesota’s Kevin Garnett, the NBA’s leading rebounder with 12.8 per game, and Denver’s Carmelo Anthony, the NBA’s second-leading scorer (28.9 ppg), at forwards; and Orlando’s Dwight Howard at center.

The 129-member voting panel of writers and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada consisted of national media members and members from each of the league’s 30 teams who regularly cover the NBA. The media voted for All-NBA First, Second and Third Teams by position with points awarded on a 5-3-1 basis.

Below are the results of the voting for the 2006-07 All-NBA Teams, with First Team votes in parentheses:

2006-07 ALL-NBA FIRST TEAM

Position Player, Team (1st Team Votes) Points

Forward Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas (125) 634

Forward Tim Duncan, San Antonio (94) 573

Center Amaré Stoudemire, Phoenix (36) 494

Guard Steve Nash, Phoenix (129) 645

Guard Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers (128) 643

2006-07 ALL-NBA SECOND TEAM

Position Player, Team (1st Team Votes) Points

Forward LeBron James, Cleveland (64) 494

Forward Chris Bosh, Toronto (8) 234

Center Yao Ming, Houston (38) 333

Guard Gilbert Arenas, Washington 295

Guard Tracy McGrady, Houston (10) 278

2006-07 ALL-NBA THIRD TEAM

Position Player, Team (1st Team Votes) Points

Forward Kevin Garnett, Minnesota (5) 225

Forward Carmelo Anthony, Denver (1) 142

Center Dwight Howard, Orlando (1) 108

Guard Dwyane Wade, Miami (1) 241

Guard Chauncey Billups, Detroit 86

Other players receiving votes, with point totals (first team votes in parentheses): Carlos Boozer, Utah, 127; Shaquille O’Neal, Miami, 70 (3); Jason Kidd, New Jersey, 58; Marcus Camby, Denver, 42 (2); Shawn Marion, Phoenix, 41; Allen Iverson, Denver, 39; Tony Parker, San Antonio, 39; Vince Carter, New Jersey, 15; Deron Williams, Utah, 15; Josh Howard, Dallas, 11; Elton Brand, L.A. Clippers, 8; Mehmet Okur, Utah, 7; Baron Davis, Golden State, 6; Michael Redd, Milwaukee, 6; Ray Allen, Seattle, 5; Richard Hamilton, Detroit, 4; Joe Johnson, Atlanta, 3; Ben Gordon, Chicago, 3; Chris Paul, New Orleans/Oklahoma City, 3; Paul Pierce, Boston, 2; Ben Wallace, Chicago, 2; Jason Terry, Dallas, 2; Eddy Curry, New York, 2; Luol Deng, Chicago, 1; Chris Webber, Detroit, 1; Jermaine O’Neal, Indiana, 1; Pau Gasol, Memphis, 1; Tyson Chandler, New Orleans/Oklahoma City, 1; Manu Ginobili, San Antonio, 1. The 129-member voting panel of writers and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada consisted of national media members and members from each of the league’s 30 teams who regularly cover the NBA. The media voted for All-NBA First, Second and Third Teams by position with points awarded on a 5-3-1 basis.

Adding comments to these stories has been disabled. View the current sports stories Salem-News Sports