All-Star starters announced, Lakers and Clippers highlight West squad

By Paul Levine Feb 3, 2012, 2:47 GMT

Los Angeles - There was a distinct LA flavour when the 2012 All-Star Game starters were announced by the league Thursday, with a pair of Lakers and Clippers highlighting the Western Conference squad.

LA Lakers guard Kobe Bryant was the leading vote-getter (1,555,479) in the West. The four-time All-Star MVP etched his name into record books, matching Jerry West, Karl Malone, and Shaquille O'Neal, with his 14th consecutive starting nod.

'It's unbelievable. It's ridiculous, but obviously, he's the best player in the game,' teammate Andrew Bynum said of Bryant in LA Thursday. 'He's going to make it every year.

Bynum, with 1,051,945 votes to his own name, will be heading with Bryant to Orlando's Amway Arena on February 26 for the league's mid-season showpiece after being voted to his first All-Star squad in his seventh season at centre.

'For me, it feels good,' Bynum said, 'because at least this year I'm putting up the kind of numbers that qualify me for it and it's great because the fans voted me in.'

LA Clippers Chris Paul (1,138,743 votes) joins Bryant at guard with his fifth All-Star selection. Paul's high-flying teammate Blake Griffin (876,451 votes), will make his second consecutive All-Star appearance, but his first as a starter at forward.

Oklahoma City Thunder's Kevin Durant (1,345,566) is the only starter from outside LA, and is to make his third straight starting appearance at the other forward spot.

It's the first time that two pairs of teammates have been selected to start for one conference since 1997, when Houston's Hakeem Olajuwon and Charles Barkley joined Seattle's Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton.

The Eastern Conference also boasts a pair of teammates in the starting lineup, with Dwyane Wade and LeBron James of the Miami Heat being voted in by the fans.

Wade (1,334,223) will be paired at guard with NBA MVP Derrick Rose (1,514,723) of the Chicago Bulls; James (1,360,680), a two-time All-Star Game MVP and Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks (1,041,290) are the forwards while leading vote-getter Dwight Howard (1,600,390) of the Orlando Magic is at centre.

The seven reserves will be selected by the 30 NBA head coaches and announced next Thursday.

The head coaches and their staffs will be determined by the best record in the conference through games played February 15.