Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, still basking in his first National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Award, headlined the All-NBA team announced Thursday.
Joining Bryant on the prestigious squad were guard Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets, forwards LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics and center Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic.
The award is voted on by a panel of 127 writers and broadcasters throughout North America who cover the NBA.
Bryant, the only unanimous selection, received 127 first-place votes and 635 points. Bryant was second in the league in scoring behind James, averaging 28.3 points.
The two-time scoring champion garnered first team honors for the sixth time in his illustrious career.
Paul, runner-up to Bryant in MVP voting, received first team honors in just his third season. The lightning-quick point guard, who received 124 first-place votes and 629 points, averaged 21.1 points and led the league with 11.6 assists per game.
Thanks largely to Paul's contribution, the Hornets finished with the second-best record in the West during the regular season.
The league's leading scorer at 30.0 points per game, James garnered first team honors for the second time.
Garnett, a driving force for the league-leading Celtics, named a first team member for the fourth time in his career. He received 118 first-place votes and 612 points.
Another in a long line of young superstars, Howard earned first team honors for the first time after averaging 20.7 points and a league-best 14.2 rebounds. At 22 years, 130 days, Howard became the youngest player in NBA history to lead the league in rebounds.
