James and Bryant headline All-NBA selections

(Reuters) – Most Valuable Player LeBron James of the Miami Heat and veteran Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers headlined the list of players selected for the All-NBA team, the league said yesterday.

Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs and Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers joined James and Bryant on the first team.

James, who has won four of the last five league MVP awards, earned first team honors for a sixth consecutive season and seventh overall since entering the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 2003.

The nine-time All-Star was the only player in the league to lead his team in scoring (26.8 points per game), rebounding (8.0) and assists (7.3).

He shot a career high from the field (.565) and from three-point range (.406).

Bryant was chosen for the eighth consecutive season and a record-tying 11th time in his career, putting him level with Hall of Famer Karl Malone.

The 34-year-old Bryant, a 15-time All-Star, scored 2,133 points during the season (averaging 27.3) as he moved past Wilt Chamberlain into fourth place in the NBA’s all-time scoring list.