Bryant, Howard, Paul and Griffin to start in NBA All-Star game

Two Lakers and two Clippers were selected Thursday as staters for the Western Conference All-Star team.

Kobe Bryant received 1.59 million votes, the most of any player in the fan balloting, as the Laker star was chosen to his 15th NBA All-Star team. His Lakers teammate Dwight Howard was also selected as a starter for the West squad. This is Howard’s seventh All-Star selection.

Clippers Chris Paul (sixth All-Star team) and Blake Griffin (third All-Star selection) will also start for the West. Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant will complete the starting five for the West.

This year the “center� position was dropped from All-Star ballots. Instead, fans voted for two backcourt and three frontcourt players.

The starters for the Eastern Conference All-Stars are: Dwyane Wade (Miami) and Rajon Rondo (Boston) in the backcourt, and LeBron James (Miami), Carmelo Anthony (New York) and Kevin Garnett (Boston) in the frontcourt.

Reserves for the All-Star teams will be selected by NBA head coaches.

The All-Star game will be played Feb. 17 in Houston.

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