Santa Clara alum Steve Nash `96 will be making his seventh appearance in the 2010 NBA All-Star game this weekend after receiving 1,222,235 votes, the eighth-highest total in 2010 All-Star voting. He will be joined by the Laker's Kobe Bryant as part of the Western Conference's backcourt. Nash is the only player from the West Coast Conference on the 2010 All-Star roster for both the NBAs Western and Eastern Conferences.
The 2010 All-Star game will be played at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, before an expected crowd of more than 80,000 -- the largest group ever to witness a live basketball game -- on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2010.
The Bronco alum is a seven time all-star (2002-2003, 2005-2008, 2010) and was twice named the NBA MVP (2005 and `06).
Nash finished second in the 2006-07 MVP voting after garnering back-to-back NBA MVP awards the previous two seasons, joining Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan as the only other guards ever to accomplish this feat. Nash is shooting a career-best from the free-throw line this season; and is assists, and among league leaders in double-doubles, field goal percentage and free throw percentage. He averaged a career-best 11.6 assists in 2006-07. A veteran of the All-Star weekend, Nash won the 2005 NBA All-Star Skills Challenge. A three-time All-NBA First Team selection, he was selected by Phoenix in the first round (15th overall) of the 1996 NBA Draft after an illustrious career at Santa Clara where he led the team to three NCAA Tournament appearances, was twice named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year and finished as the team's all-time leader in assists.
For more information see http://www.nba.com/allstar2010/
Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James, this year's leading vote-getter in the NBA All-Star Balloting program presented by T-Mobile with 2,549,693 votes, became the first player in balloting history to draw at least 2.5 million votes on three separate occasions. James is making his sixth All-Star appearance and will start for the Eastern Conference for the sixth time in his career. Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, the second leading vote-getter with 2,456,224, paced the Western Conference.
Through the 2010 NBA All-Star Balloting program presented by T-Mobile, fans worldwide were responsible for voting in the starters for the 59th NBA All-Star Game, which will air live on TNT and ESPN Radio in the U.S., and reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages. 2010 Fans' Choice
Joining James, the 2006 and 2008 All-Star Game MVP, in the Eastern Conference starting lineup at forward is Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics (1,978,116), the 2003 All-Star MVP. The starters for the East at guard are the Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade (2,327,550) and the Philadelphia 76ers' Allen Iverson (1,269,568), the 2001 and 2005 All-Star Game MVP. Among active players, Garnett's 13th All-Star selection ranks second to Cleveland Cavaliers center Shaquille O'Neal (15). Dwight Howard (2,360,096) of the Orlando Magic is the starting center.
Bryant, the youngest All-Star in NBA history in 1998, is making his 12th appearance and was the All-Star MVP in 2002 and 2007, and co-MVP along with Shaquille O'Neal in 2009. Bryant is joined in the Western Conference starting backcourt by Nash, who received1,222,235 votes. The Denver Nuggets' Carmelo Anthony (2,137,560) and the San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan (1,156,696), who is making his 12th appearance and was the co-MVP along with Shaquille O'Neal of the 2000 All-Star Game, are the starting forwards. The Suns' Amar'e Stoudemire starts at center (1,824,093).
