NEW YORK, May 6 (UPI) -- Kevin Garnett of Minnesota and MVP Tim Duncan of San Antonio were named to the NBA First Team announced Tuesday by the league.
The other members of the First Team were Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers, and Tracy McGrady of Orlando.
Named to the Second Team were forwards Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks and Chris Webber of the Sacramento Kings, Detroit center Ben Wallace, and guards Jason Kidd of the New Jersey Nets and Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Two days after winning his second straight MVP award, Duncan became just the sixth player in NBA history to make the All-NBA First Team in each of his first six seasons, joining Hall of Famers Elgin Baylor, Larry Bird, George Mikan, Bob Pettit, and Oscar Robertson. He finished as the top vote-getter on the All-NBA First Team for the second consecutive season with 603 points and 120 first-place votes.
The 7-foot Duncan averaged 23.3 points and recorded career highs with 12.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 2.9 blocks per game in leading the Spurs to a league-best 60-22 record. He had 58 double-doubles and shot 51 percent from the field.
Duncan and the Spurs have been knocked out of the playoffs each of the last two years by the Lakers, and the teams are meeting again in the Western Conference semifinals. He had 28 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists in the Spurs' series-opening 87-82 win on Monday.
Bryant and O'Neal are the first teammates to be named to the First Team in consecutive seasons since Karl Malone and John Stockton of the Utah Jazz in 1993-94 and 1994-95. Bryan finished second in the voting with 599 points, and O'Neal was fourth with 593 points.
Bryant finished second in the league in scoring at 30.0 points per game, and also posted career-highs with 6.9 rebounds and 5.9 assists as a shooting guard. He scored 40 or more points in nine straight games, and became the youngest player in NBA history to reach the 10,000-point plateau on March 5.
O'Neal was named to the First Team for the fourth consecutive season and fifth time in his career. The superstar center finished fourth in scoring at 27.5 points per game on 57.4 percent shooting, and averaged 11.1 rebounds.
Bryant and O'Neal are seeking their fourth straight NBA title.
The 6-11 Garnett finished third in the voting with 596 points for his second First Team honor. He led Minnesota to a 51-31 record, averaging 23.0 points, 13.4 rebounds, and 6.0 assists.
He paced the league with 68 triple-doubles and six triple-doubles, and was MVP of the All-Star Game, scoring 37 points in leading the West to a double-overtime win.
McGrady's team also was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, but he earned the nod in the backcourt over Kidd and Iverson after winning the scoring title with 32.1 points per game, and also set career-highs with 5.5 assists and 1.65 steals.
The All-NBA Third Team consists of guards Stephon Marbury of Phoenix and Steve Nash of Dallas, forwards Paul Pierce of Boston and Jamal Mashburn of New Orleans, and center Jermaine O'Neal of Indiana.
