Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James was the leading vote-getter on the All-NBA first team, which included Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant and Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash.

Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki and Miami center Shaquille O'Neal rounded out the first team, announced Wednesday by the league. Rockets' center Yao Ming made the third team.

James averaged 31.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.6 assists in leading the Cavaliers to their first playoff appearance in eight years. Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson and Jerry West are the only other players in NBA history to average at least 31 points, seven rebounds and six assists in a season.

James received 116 first-place votes and 610 total points from the panel of 126 media members.

At the age of 21 years, 138 days, James is the youngest player in NBA history to be named to the first team. Max Zaslofsky was 21 years, five months old when he was named to the All-NBA first team as a rookie in the 1946-47 season.

Bryant, who led the league with 35.4 points a game, was selected to the team for the fourth time. He scored 50 or more points six times this season

Nash, who won the MVP award for the second straight season, led the league with 10.5 assists. Nowitzki averaged a career-high 26.6 points and lead the Mavericks with 9.0 rebounds.

O'Neal made the team for the seventh straight season and the eighth overall. He averaged 20 points, 9.2 rebounds and led the league in field goal percentage (60 percent) for the ninth time, tying Wilt Chamberlain for the most all-time.

(Agencies via China Daily May 18, 2006)