WALKER MAKES THE ALL-STAR TEAM! (everyone do the Walker Wiggle)

[Colin Hall <colin@inet-direct.com>]

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 Lakers' Van Exel, Jones lead All-Star additions

Associated Press
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NBA Chat


 NEW YORK -- The Los Angeles Lakers will be the first team to have four
players in the NBA All-Star Game since 1983, after guards Nick Van Exel and
Eddie Jones were added as reserves to the Western Conference team Tuesday.
Van Exel and Jones join teammates Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, both
starters, on the West team that will face the Eastern Conference in the
Feb. 8 game at Madison Square Garden.

The last team to have four representatives in the game was Philadelphia,
with Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Maurice Cheeks and Andrew Toney on the
East team 15 years ago.

Other reserves added to the West team were San Antonio forward Tim Duncan,
the only rookie on either squad, and his teammate, center David Robinson;
forward Vin Baker of Seattle and guards Mitch Richmond of Sacramento and
Jason Kidd of Phoenix.

Selected to the East team as reserves were guard Reggie Miller and center
Rik Smits of Indiana, center-forward Jayson Williams of New Jersey,
forwards Glen Rice of Charlotte and Antoine Walker of Boston, and guards
Tim Hardaway of Miami and Steve Smith of Atlanta.

The 14 reserves were added to the teams by a vote of the coaches in each
conference.

Earlier, the fans voted for the starters. Chosen to start for the East were
forwards Grant Hill of Detroit and Shawn Kemp of Cleveland, center Dikembe
Mutombo of Atlanta, and guards Michael Jordan of Chicago and Penny Hardaway
of Orlando.

The West starters, in addition to O'Neal at center and Bryant at guard,
will be forwards Kevin Garnett of Minnesota and Karl Malone of Utah, and
guard Gary Payton of Seattle.

Duncan is the first rookie selected since Hill in 1995. Since he was
previously selected to play in the Schick Rookie game on the eve of the
All-Star Game, he will have to be replaced on the West rookie team.

Van Exel, Walker, Smits, Williams and Smith also will be making their
All-Star debuts.

There are several notables absentees on both teams. They include Chicago's
Dennis Rodman, the league's leading rebounder; Washington's Rod Strickland,
the assist leader, and five of the top 12 scorers -- Milwaukee's Glenn
Robinson, fourth; Vancouver's Shareef Abdur-Rahim, fifth; Washington's
Chris Webber, ninth; Philadelphia's Allen Iverson, 11th, and Minnesota's
Tom Gugliotta, 12th.

Also missing is a member of the host team, the New York Knicks.

Larry Bird of Indiana will coach the East team and George Karl of Seattle
will coach the West. 
 

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