Ewing All-NBA 1st Time; Magic Receives Most Votes

Patrick Ewing of the New York Knicks is the only newcomer on the 1990 All-NBA first team, joining repeaters Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and Karl Malone.

The Lakers’ Johnson, named the league’s most valuable player for a third time, was the top vote-getter with 91 first-team votes and 458 of a possible 460 points.

Ewing, who averaged 28.6 points, 10.9 rebounds and 3.99 blocks per game while shooting .551 from the field, edged Houston’s Akeem Olajuwon in the battle for the No. 1 center spot in the voting announced today by the league.

Ewing, a second-team choice the last two seasons, received 44 first-team votes from 92 members of a nationwide media panel--three from each league city and 11 representing the national media. Overall, he collected 344 points, with votes counted on a 5-3-1 basis for first-, second- and third-team selections.

Olajuwon got 42 first-team votes and 326 points.

Barkley, of the Philadelphia 76ers, was the second-highest vote getter, also with 91 first-team votes but two fewer points than Johnson.

Malone, of the Utah Jazz, also amassed 456 points, with 90 first-team votes, and Jordan, of the Chicago Bulls and the league’s leading scorer, collected 90 first-team votes and 453 points.

This was the eighth consecutive year that Johnson has been chosen to the first team and the fourth straight year for Jordan.

Named to the second team, along with Olajuwon, were forwards Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics and Tom Chambers of the Phoenix Suns and guards John Stockton of Utah and Kevin Johnson of Phoenix.