Bryant leads All-Star selections

Kobe Bryant received the most votes in balloting by the fans and was selected as a starter for the Western Conference All-Star team for the 13th consecutive time. He will be joined by Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets, Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets and Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets. Yao is injured and can’t play, so NBA commissioner David Stern will select a replacement.

The Eastern Conference starters: Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic, LeBron James of the Miami Heat, Amare Stoudemire of the New York Knicks, Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls and Dwyane Wade of the Heat.

The game is Feb. 20 at Staples Center.