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Yao Ming's injury absence hasn't dimmed his popularity with National Basketball Association fans, who are also impressed by Kobe Bryant's spectacular scoring feats.

Yao and Bryant were announced on Thursday as the top two vote-getters for the upcoming NBA All-Star Game and will lead the Western Conference into the 55th annual mid-season exhibition in Houston on February 19.

LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Shaquille O'Neal of the Miami Heat were the leading recipients for the Eastern Conference team. O'Neal joins Hall of Famers, Jerry West, Bob Cousy, John Havlicek and Utah Jazz legend Karl Malone as the only players to be elected 13 straight seasons.

"Each time I'm selected as an All-Star, it's more special than the year before," said O'Neal, who received 2,192,542 votes. "It shows I can compete at a high level on a consistent basis, year in and year out. I want to thank my fans for their support. Hopefully, I will see a few more as my career moves on."

Yao returned Monday from a toe injury that cost him 21 games. The Chinese native, who received a healthy dose of his 2,342,738 votes via Internet users from his homeland, was named an All-Star for the fourth time after averaging career highs with 19.8 points and 9.2 rebounds in just 24 contests.

An eight-time All-Star at 27, Bryant has electrified the NBA this season, scoring at least 40 points on 14 occasions and recording the league's second-highest total in history with 81 against Toronto on January 22.

The league's leading scorer with a 35.7 average, Bryant received 2,271,631 votes - the fifth-highest total in history.

Tracy McGrady, Yao's Houston teammate, who has been bothered by a back injury that has limited him to 32 games, was voted an All-Star for the sixth time.

He will be joined in the starting line-up by a pair of NBA Most Valuable Players in Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs and Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns.

Duncan, who shared MVP honours with O'Neal at the 2000 All-Star game, will be making his eighth All-Star appearance.

Nash, the reigning NBA MVP, has followed up his remarkable campaign with another, leading the Suns to a 30-16 record and the second seed behind the Spurs in the Western Conference standings.

The West will be coached by Avery Johnson of the Dallas Mavericks. San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich is not eligible because he coached in last year's All-Star Game.

James has continued his rise to superstardom with a stellar first half, ranking third in the league with a 31.1 scoring average and placing among the league leaders with 6.4 assists.

James led the East with 2,207,697 votes, narrowly edging O'Neal.

For the second straight season, Dwyane Wade joined his teammate O'Neal on the squad. Wade ranks fifth in the league in scoring with a 26.8 average entering Thursday's play.

Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76ers, who has carried his club through the first half of the season, earned 2,062,206 votes to receive his seventh All-Star selection. Rounding out the starting five for the East is Indiana Pacers centre Jermaine O'Neal, who will miss the event with a left groin tear that has him sidelined until late March.

Although the Detroit Pistons - who lead the league with a 38-6 record - did not have a starter voted in, it should be well represented among the reserves when they are announced February 9.

Detroit coach Flip Saunders clinched a spot at the helm of the Eastern Conference team over two weeks ago after a guiding the Pistons to a blistering start in his first season with the club. Saunders, who coached the West in 2004, is the sixth coach in NBA All-Star history to guide both sides.

(China Daily February 5, 2006)