NEW YORK, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Houston Rockets center Yao Ming leads all vote-getters after the first returns in the 2006 NBA All-Star Game.
Yao has 729,178 votes, nearly 480,000 more than Marcus Camby of the Denver Nuggets, his closest rival for Western Conference starting center in the All-Star Game, scheduled for Yao's home court at the Toyota Center in Houston on Feb. 19, 2006.
Yao teammate Tracy McGrady leads Western Conference forwards with 600,507 votes. Kevin Garnett of the Minnesota Timberwolves is second with 469,497 votes, followed by Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs.
Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers leads among guards with 664,744. Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns is second with 562,846. San Antonio's Manu Ginobili is third, nearly 350,000 votes behind Nash.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James has the most votes in the Eastern Conference, 665,849. Miami Heat center Shaquille O'Neal is second with 646,085, despite missing most of the season with a sprained ankle.
Detroit Pistons center Ben Wallace is third, followed by Indiana Pacers forward Jermaine O'Neal and Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace. Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76ers, Dwyane Wade of Miami and Vince Carter of the New York Nets lead the voting among guards.
