LeBron, Kobe lead while Lin trails in NBA All-Star voting

NEW YORK (AFP) –

LeBron James of the Miami Heat is pictured during a game against the Washington Wizards at Verizon Center on December 4, 2012 in Washington, DC. James and Kobe Bryant top the first voting results for the 62nd NBA All-Star Game announced Thursday by the league while Asian-American guard Jeremy Lin trails in his bid for a spot.

LeBron James and Kobe Bryant top the first voting results for the 62nd NBA All-Star Game announced Thursday by the league while Asian-American guard Jeremy Lin trails in his bid for a spot.

The showdown of Eastern and Western conference superstars will be staged February 17 at Houston.

Miami playmaker James, last season’s NBA Most Valuable Player who led the Heat to last season’s NBA crown, has the overall lead with 641,348 votes while Los Angeles Lakers guard Bryant paces the Western Conference and ranks second overall at 639,419.

New York’s Carmelo Anthony, with 573,112 votes, and Boston’s Kevin Garnett, with 218,246 votes, joined James as Eastern Conference front-court leaders with Miami’s Chris Bosh a distant fourth at 210,724.

Miami’s Dwyane Wade led the East backcourt with 430,925 votes with Boston’s Rajon Rondo in the other guard spot at 382,613. Brooklyn’s Deron Williams was a distant third at 211,426.

In the West, Bryant was joined among guards by Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers at 353,603 with All-Star Game host Houston’s two backcourt standouts, Lin and James Harden, next on the list.

Lin, who touched off “Lin-sanity” last season in coming off the bench and making an unexpected impact for the Knicks before signing with the Rockets in the off-season, was third among guards at 298,319 with Harden at 196,108.

Western Conference front-court voting leaders included Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant at 605,965, Lakers’ big man Dwight Howard at 434,168 and Blake Griffin of the Clippers at 307,855.

San Antonio’s Tim Duncan was fourth at 189,577 with Spanish star Pau Gasol of the Lakers next at 139,868.

Voting ends January 14 and the NBA All-Star starters will be announced three days later.