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NEW YORK -- Kobe Bryant called for younger players in the All-Star game, and the fans listened. Manti Te o Youth Jersey . They still want Bryant, too. Stephen Curry, Kevin Love, Paul George and Kyrie Irving were voted NBA All-Stars Thursday, putting four first-time starters in the Feb. 16 game in New Orleans. Bryant was elected by fans to his 16th All-Star game, second-most in NBA history, but this one is shaping up as a kids game. Curry, perhaps the biggest snub last season, will join him in the Western Conference backcourt. Love passed Dwight Howard in the final days of voting and will start in the frontcourt along with Oklahoma Citys Kevin Durant and the Clippers Blake Griffin. "Hey, Im popular now," Love joked. "Its very humbling to me to be starting in the All-Star game. I tip my hat to the fans in the Twin Cities and all over Minnesota and beyond." The four first-time starters are all 25 or younger. Curry went to All-Star weekend as a kid when his father, Dell, competed in the 3-point contest, and now hell finally get to play in the game. "Its kind of just a surreal feeling," Curry said. "I saw Kobe come on the screen and you knew that next person on the screen was going to be me or I was going to get left off that list. Just when I saw my name it was a real emotional kind of experience and glad my wife and daughter were here to watch it with me." LeBron James was the leading vote-getter with 1.4 million and Miami teammate Dwyane Wade also was voted in Thursday. George, who has led Indiana to the leagues best record, and New Yorks Carmelo Anthony are the other East forwards, and Irving will start at guard. Bryant has been limited to just six games this season because of injuries and will be out until at least early next month. He said recently he hoped fans wouldnt vote for him and would instead look toward younger, more deserving players. Fans picked him anyway. Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, with 19, was selected to more All-Star games. But even Bryant could finish only second to Curry among West guards, a remarkable turnaround for the Golden State sharpshooter. He was the highest-scoring player not chosen last year, but moved past the Clippers Chris Paul in the third returns of balloting, then passed Bryant in the final days to finish with more than a million votes and become the Warriors first All-Star starter since Latrell Sprewell in 1995. "I understand how big a deal it is to be selected on the team," Curry said. "And just how different the feeling was from last year, having gone through that experience and just trying to get back healthy, first and foremost, to give myself a chance come All-Star selection time." Love also made a late move to surge into the top three, finishing about 8,000 votes ahead of Houston centre Dwight Howard to become Minnesotas first All-Star starter since Kevin Garnett in 2007. "I was hoping for the best and preparing for the worst, and knowing the worst was I was going to still probably end up in the All-Star game (as a coachs pick) and represent the West and the Wolves and the Twin Cities." Love said. "Right now, Im very happy." Indiana hadnt had one since Jermaine ONeal a year earlier, but now George will get to play for Pacers coach Frank Vogel, who has already clinched the Easts coaching spot. "It means a lot because that means the fans are really watching us as a team," George said. "For us to have the No. 1 record in the league, and playing at a high level, I think the fans are starting to follow us as a whole and I think thats the biggest thing with me being a starter." The reserves will be announced next Thursday. Head coaches in each conference will vote for two guards, three frontcourt players and two players regardless of position. AP Sports Writers Jon Krawczynski in Minneapolis and Antonio Gonzalez in Oakland, Calif. contributed to this report. Philip Rivers Pro Bowl Jersey . Ranked 32nd in the world, Pospisil was due to play Frenchman Gael Monfils, but he withdrew with a wrist injury. Pospisil had the momentum going into the match against No. 52 Andujar, who got into the draw as a lucky loser, after making the semifinals last weekend in Basel. Manti Te o Elite Jersey . Alex Gough, Sam Edney and the doubles tandem of Justin Snith and Tristan Walker combined in the new event but missed winning a medal by one-tenth of a second.BALTIMORE -- Orioles third baseman Manny Machado stated his case Wednesday for the reduction of a five-game suspension he received for intentionally throwing his bat on the field against Oakland on June 8. Now hes got to wait for the verdict, which will probably be rendered before the end of the week. "Were hoping we made a good case and we got it down," Machado said. Machado tossed his bat in the direction of third base during a plate appearance in which Oakland reliever Fernando Abad threw successive high-and-tight pitches. After the bat went soaring, both benches emptied. Machado and Abad were ejected. Abad was subsequently fined but not suspended. The bat throwing was an extension of a feud that began in the series opener two days earlier. Machado yelled in the face of Oaklands Josh Donaldson after the third baseman tagged him on the chest, knocking Machado off his feet. The dugouts also emptied after that confrontation, but no one was ejected. Machado was subsequently suspended and fined an undisclosed amount. He immediately appealed the punishment and has been playing for Baltimore since that time. Machado, his agent and Orioles executive vice-ppresident Dan Duquette spoke for about an hour Wednesday with Joe Garagiola Jr. Philip Rivers Black Jersey. , senior vice-president of standards and on-field operations at Major League Baseball. The meeting took place at the warehouse behind Camden Yards. "We got it done," Machado said. "Now its just sit back and wait and see what is going to happen." He hoped to get a reduction of the suspension, and if possible, have it wiped out entirely. "At this point, theres nothing to talk about," Machado said. "Just wait and see how many games Im going to get suspended, hopefully I dont and just get fined." Asked why he was optimistic, Machado replied, "I didnt throw the bat at anybody. And thats it. All the other cases that have gotten suspended have been when they go ahead and intentionally throw the bat at the person. I dont want to jinx anything. I just want to try and get as least games as possible." If a suspension does occur, Machado and the Orioles hoped the decision would be rendered after Fridays split doubleheader against Tampa Bay. "Hopefully, it doesnt hurt the team that Im down with those two games," Machado said. ' ' ' |
