Yao Ming is the fourth highest vote getter. He is 200,000 votes ahead of Shaq. Yes!!!!! Kobe, Yao Lead West in All-Star Voting NEW YORK, Jan. 2 -- 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 second 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. E-mail photo | Buy photos Kobe Bryant leads the Western Conference All-Star voting. Catherine Steenkeste NBAE/Getty Images Bryant leads all players with 958,695 votes. Following Bryant at the guard position in the Western Conference is Houston’s Steve Francis (652,210). Houston’s Yao Ming leads all West centers with 814,393 votes, followed by Los Angeles Lakers’ Shaquille O’Neal (655,744). San Antonio’s Tim Duncan (758,754) and Minnesota’s Kevin Garnett (710,394) lead all West forwards. Carter leads all Eastern Conference players with 871,189 votes. He is followed at the forward position by Orlando’s Grant Hill (586,664). Detroit’s Ben Wallace leads all Eastern Conference centers with 687,337, followed by New Jersey’s Dikembe Mutombo (399,653), while Orlando’s Tracy McGrady leads all East guards with 822,034 votes, followed by Philadelphia’s Allen Iverson (755,409). 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). NBA All-Star Ballots are also available for the first time in three languages -- English, Mandarin and Spanish -- on NBA.com as part of NBA.com/espanol and NBA.com /china sites. 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, and updated results for the Eastern and Western Conferences will be issued regularly concluding 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 second return of the 2003 NBA All-Star voting program: EASTERN CONFERENCE Forwards: Vince Carter (Tor) 871,189; Grant Hill (Orl) 586,664; Jermaine O’Neal (Ind) 556,675; Antoine Walker (Bos) 326,582; Kenyon Martin (NJ) 247,254; Shareef Abdur-Rahim (Atl) 169,000; Latrell Sprewell (NY) 162,883; Darius Miles (Cle) 150,441; Keith Van Horn (Phi) 146,042; Richard Jefferson (NJ) 134,268. Guards: Tracy McGrady (Orl) 822,034; Allen Iverson (Phi) 755,409; Michael Jordan (Was) 654,849; Jason Kidd (NJ) 596,118; Paul Pierce (Bos) 208,188; Ray Allen (Mil) 159,756; Jerry Stackhouse (Was) 105,308; Reggie Miller (Ind) 105,252; Baron Davis (NO) 101,538; Ricky Davis (Cle) 89,884. Centers: Ben Wallace (Det) 687,337; Dikembe Mutombo (NJ) 399,653; Zydrunas Ilgauskas (Cle) 192,794; Antonio Davis (Tor) 149,573; Brad Miller (Ind) 138,843; Brian Grant (Mia) 103,413; Theo Ratliff (Atl) 86,153; Todd MacCulloch (Phi) 81,386; Tony Battie (Bos) 78,931; Kurt Thomas (NY) 54,597. WESTERN CONFERENCE Forwards: Tim Duncan (SA) 758,754; Kevin Garnett (Min) 710,394; Dirk Nowitzki (Dal) 673,076; Chris Webber (Sac) 534,155; Elton Brand (LAC) 159,625; Peja Stojakovic (Sac) 148,056; Pau Gasol (Mem) 135,471; Scottie Pippen (Por) 115,657; Rasheed Wallace (Por) 112,255; Robert Horry (LAL) 111,151. Guards: Kobe Bryant (LAL) 958,695; Steve Francis (Hou) 652,210; Steve Nash (Dal) 467,803; Gary Payton (Sea) 343,065; Mike Bibby (Sac) 321,911; Michael Finley (Dal) 270,890; Tony Parker (San) 119,734; Cuttino Mobley (Hou) 112,745; Andre Miller (LAC) 110,926; John Stockton (Uta) 107,870. Centers: Yao Ming (Hou) 814,393; Shaquille O’Neal (LAL) 655,744; Vlade Divac (Sac) 181,917; David Robinson (SA) 163,547; Raef LaFrentz (Dal) 110,679; Michael Olowokandi (LAC) 91,149; Arvydas Sabonis (Por) 49,308; Marcus Camby (Den) 45,382; Erick Dampier (GS) 36,880; Radoslav Nesterovic (Min) 22,557. TOP 10 OVERALL Kobe Bryant (LAL) 958,695 Vince Carter (Tor) 871,189 Tracy McGrady (Orl) 822,034 Yao Ming (Hou) 814,393 Tim Duncan (SA) 758,754 Allen Iverson (Phi) 755,409 Kevin Garnett (Min) 710,394 Ben Wallace (Was) 687,337 Dirk Nowitzki (Dal) 673,076 Shaquille O'Neal (LAL) 655,744
WOW! I can't believe he's that far ahead. I thought you had said he was 2,000 behind, then I saw the headline. Hope he can keep it up.
AHHH!! no edit... 1) Anybody have a change in the percentage lead that Steve had over the third place vote getter since the first batch of votes were counted? He seems to be safely ahead of Nash barring a total collapse... 2) Cuttino is ahead of Stockton!! Just reading that brings a tear of joy to my eye...
I'm really curious as to how many of those votes came from China. I bet a serious chunk of it are from N. American fans sick of Shaq and/or loving Yao. Of course, if/when Shaq loses out, his supporters will clearly be claiming that it's the whole China swing votes.
This will be the first time the Rockets have two starters on the all-star team since the "big three" days.
All star break is the best time for Yao to rest his tired body. But I guess fans and NBA is kind pushy ... hehe I wonder what would Shaq thinks now; deliver a knock-out on January 17th?
yao is fourth right now no surprise here i voted for him like 20 times a day guys...just remove the cookie after each vote
Great news for Rockets fans and NBA fans all over the world ! This is the final stretch, keep voting every day for Yao Ming and Steve Francis...