Pierce to make 3rd All-Star Appearance

[Tammo29@xxxxxxx]

Pierce to make 3rd All-Star Appearance
Bostonbs Paul Pierce Leads List of 2004 NBA All-Star Reserves


 NEW YORK, February 3 - Boston Celtics guard Paul Pierce, a three-time 
All-Star headline's today's announcement of the reserves for the 2004 NBA All-Star 
Game, to be played on Sunday, February 15 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. 

Pierce becomes the 14th Celtic to make three All-Star games, as well as the 
13th Celtic to make three straight All-Star Games. In two All-Star appearances 
Pierce is averaging 13.5 points, including a high of 19 points in the 2002 
All-Star Game. 

The 14 players selectedbseven each from the Eastern and Western Conferencesb
were chosen by a vote of the 29 NBA head coaches. The coaches were asked to 
vote for seven players in their respective conferences - two guards, two 
forwards, one center and two players regardless of position. They were not permitted 
to vote for players from their own team. 

Joining Pierce on the East team will be New Jersey's Jason Kidd and New 
Orleans' Baron Davis and first-time All-Stars Ron Artest of Indiana, Michael Redd 
of Milwaukee, Kenyon Martin of New Jersey and Jamaal Magloire of New Orleans. 

First-timers Sam Cassell of Minnesota and Andrei Kirilenko of Utah join the 
Los Angeles Lakers Shaquille O'Neal, Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki, Peja Stojakovic and 
Brad Miller of Sacramento and Seattle's Ray Allen on the West squad. 

Previously selected, as starters for the East through the NBA All-Star 2004 
Balloting Program were Detroit's Ben Wallace,  Pierce scored 19 points in the 
2002 NBA All-Star game.
Photo: Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Image
Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal, Orlando's Tracy McGrady, Philadelphia's Allen 
Iverson and Toronto's Vince Carter. Houston's Steve Francis and Yao Ming, Kobe 
Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota's Kevin Garnett and San Antonio's Tim 
Duncan will start for the West. 

The selections of Kirilenko (Russia), Magloire (Canada), Nowitzki (Germany) 
and Stojakovic (Serbia-Montenegro) along with voted-starters Duncan (U.S. 
Virgin Islands) and Yao (China), gives the 2004 All-Star Game six international 
players, tying the 2003 All-Star Game record for the most international All-Stars 
in one year. 

Should any player be unable to participate in the All-Star Game due to 
injury, NBA Commissioner David Stern will select the replacement. 

Rick Carlisle of the Indiana Pacers will coach the Eastern Conference 
All-Stars and Flip Saunders of the Minnesota Timberwolves will represent the Western 
Conference. 

The NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, February 15 will be broadcast live by TNT, 
Rogers Sportsnet and ESPN Radio at 8 p.m. ET. The game will also be telecast in 
212 countries and broadcast in several languages on NBA.com. 

For the second year in a row, NBA All-Stars will wear uniforms created just 
for the game. Last year, NBA All-Stars wore "Retro" uniforms from the 1988 
All-Star Game, but this year the All-Stars will be outfitted in newly-designed 
uniforms from Reebok - created specifically for the 2004 NBA All-Star Game. 

NBA.com will provide basketball fans with the opportunity to have their vote 
count towards selecting the MVP of the 53rd NBA All-Star Game, as a part of 
the site's exclusive NBA All-Star 2004 coverage. 

Through the 2004 NBA All-Star Balloting program, which began on November 13, 
2003 through January 18, 2004, fans had the opportunity to vote in more ways 
than ever. NBA All-Star Balloting expanded this season to include 17 languages 
on the NBA.com Network, downloadable ballots via Verizon Wireless and voting 
at Loews Cineplex Entertainment movie theaters along with Foot Locker, Circuit 
City and Champs Sports locations throughout the United States. Sprite, America 
Online, Champs Sports, Reebok and 989 Sports also returned as balloting 
partners this year. These outlets were in addition to ballots that were distributed 
in all 28 NBA arenas. The balloting partners provided links to the NBA.com 
All-Star Ballot from their homepages. 

NBA All-Star 2004 is a week-long celebration that enables fans to experience 
the thrill of the world's greatest athletes playing the game they love and 
features a full slate of community enhancing activities and fan festivals. 

(complete list of all-stars link below)
http://www.nba.com/celtics/news/020304_2004AllStar.html

TAM