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© St. Petersburg Times, published January 24, 2003
NEW YORK -- When the ball goes up for the opening tip at the All-Star Game on Feb. 9 in Atlanta, Yao Ming will be the center trying to win the jump ball for the West.
The 7-foot-6 rookie from China will be starting for the Western Conference after receiving almost a quarter-million more votes than the Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal in fan balloting totals released Thursday.
Yao will become the first rookie to start in the All-Star Game since Grant Hill in 1995. He is the 16th rookie in league history to be named a starter and the sixth center, joining O'Neal in 1993, Elvin Hayes in 1969, Walt Bellamy in 1962, Wilt Chamberlain in 1960 and Ray Felix in 1954.
"I am honored. I hope to play well in the game," Yao said. "I think I might have to take a sleeping pill before I can go to sleep tonight."
The rest of the West starters are Minnesota's Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan of San Antonio, Houston's Steve Francis and Kobe Bryant of the Lakers.
Bryant was the leading vote-getter with 1,474,386 of more than 4.5-million ballots cast.
The East starters are Philadelphia's Allen Iverson and Orlando's Tracy McGrady at guard, Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal and Toronto's Vince Carter at forward and Detroit's Ben Wallace at center.
Carter has missed 33 games, including the past 23, because of knee injuries but may return by Sunday. He received a good report from Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., this week and will meet with team doctors today to see if he will be cleared to play.
"I'm thrilled. I just have to say thank you to the fans," Carter said. "It's been a rough season. A lot of people have been taking shots at me once again. It makes me feel better to know the fans believe in me."
The 26-year-old Garnett will be making his sixth appearance, tops among the starters. Bryant and Duncan were chosen for the fifth time, Carter and Iverson for the fourth, McGrady the third, and Francis and Jermaine O'Neal the second.
Isiah Thomas of Indiana and Rick Adelman of Sacramento will coach the teams, and reserves will be announced Tuesday.
CAVALIERS: Former NBA center Clifford Ray was added to Cleveland's coaching staff, reuniting him with coach Keith Smart. Ray, who played in the league for 10 years, has been an assistant with Golden State, Dallas and New Jersey and coached with Smart in the Continental Basketball Association.
WNBA: The Mohegan Sun casino is close to a deal that would bring a team to Connecticut. "Negotiations are still going on," Mohegan Sun spokesman Saverio Mancini said. The Day of New London and the Hartford Courant reported that the Orlando Miracle would be the team moving to Connecticut, but the casino would not confirm that. A call to the Magic was not immediately returned. The Miracle, run by the Magic, folded in October.
MAVERICKS 107, 76ERS 94: Dirk Nowitzki scored 30 and had 14 rebounds and Steve Nash added 21 points and 13 assists for visiting Dallas. Michael Finley scored 19 and Nick Van Exel added 16 for the Mavericks, who improved the league's best record to 33-8 with their second straight win after a West Coast trip when they lost three in a row. Allen Iverson and Keith Van Horn each scored 25 for the Sixers, who have lost 12 of 16. Philadelphia, which trailed by 18 in the second quarter, closed to 50-47 after a three-point play by Iverson early in the third. But the Mavericks answered with seven straight points and 11 of the next 13.
KINGS 104, GRIZZLIES 98: Chris Webber scored 26 and Peja Stojakovic added 22 as visiting Sacramento rallied in the fourth quarter to complete a sweep of the four-game series. The Kings began their late push by holding Memphis without a field goal for the first 61/2 minutes of the fourth. They took their first lead when Vlade Divac hit a free throw with 8:49 left to make it 86-85. Memphis came back to take a 97-96 lead on a Jason Williams 3-pointer with 1:14 left, but the Kings scored eight straight.
WARRIORS 105, NETS 97: Antawn Jamison had 29 points and 10 rebounds and host Golden State spoiled a special night for Jason Kidd. The Warriors became the first team in nearly 30 years to defeat the previous season's NBA finalists on successive nights. They defeated the Lakers on Wednesday. Kidd, who had a season-high 41 points and seven assists, had his high school jersey from St. Joseph's in nearby Alameda retired after the game. Kidd was two points shy of his career high, but it wasn't enough to keep the Nets from their first three-game losing streak of the season.