Bryant Is All-NBA Third-Team Choice

Laker guard Kobe Bryant was selected All-NBA third team Wednesday in a vote by national media members. Bryant was a first-team selection in 2002, 2003 and 2004, a second-team member in 2000 and 2001 and a third-team member in 1999.

First-team members were Miami center Shaquille O’Neal, Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki, San Antonio forward Tim Duncan, Philadelphia guard Allen Iverson and Phoenix guard Steve Nash.

O’Neal was the leading vote-getter among all players.

Second-team members were Cleveland forward LeBron James, Minnesota forward Kevin Garnett, Phoenix center Amare Stoudemire, Miami guard Dwyane Wade and Seattle guard Ray Allen.

Joining Bryant on the third team were Houston forward Tracy McGrady, Phoenix forward Shawn Marion, Detroit center Ben Wallace and Washington guard Gilbert Arenas.

-- Mike Bresnahan

*

O’Neal, battling a right thigh bruise since April 17, did not practice and was unsure if he’ll be ready for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.

“It’s not that it got worse, it’s just there, and I need it not to be there,” O’Neal told the Palm Beach Post.

O’Neal hasn’t played since May 10 after sitting out the final two games of Miami’s Eastern Conference semifinal series sweep against Washington.

*

Houston Rocket Coach Jeff Van Gundy agreed to a one-year contract extension through the 2007-08 season. He has two years left on his original four-year deal that he signed in June 2003 and paid him $18 million. Terms of the extension were not disclosed.

Van Gundy, 43, is 96-68 in Houston and has led the Rockets to two consecutive playoff appearances, turning around a franchise that had missed the postseason for four consecutive seasons.

*

Former Seattle SuperSonic forward Shawn Kemp pleaded guilty to attempted possession of more than 40 grams of marijuana in Seattle.

King County District Court Judge Eileen Kato sentenced Kemp, 35, to five days of electronic home monitoring, a year of probation and a $440 fine.

Kemp was arrested April 4 after an officer smelled marijuana around Kemp’s parked pickup.

*

The Portland Trail Blazers exercised an option to extend General Manager John Nash’s contract. Terms were not disclosed. ... Joe Bryant, the father of Laker guard Kobe Bryant, was named coach of the Tokyo Apache in Japan’s new professional league.

*

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

All-NBA teams

Tim Duncan became the fifth player to earn All-NBA first-team honors in each of his first eight seasons, joining George Mikan, Oscar Robertson, Bob Petit and Larry Bird. The 124 American and Canadian media members voted for All-NBA teams by position with points awarded on a 5-3-1 basis (first-place votes in parentheses).

FIRST TEAM

F Tim Duncan, San Antonio (95) 553

F Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas (75) 510

C Shaquille O’Neal, Miami (122) 616

G Allen Iverson, Philadelphia (69) 498

G Steve Nash, Phoenix (118) 606

*

SECOND TEAM

F LeBron James, Cleveland (45) 421

F Kevin Garnett, Minnesota (34) 408

C Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix (9) 367

G Dwyane Wade, Miami (35) 417

G Ray Allen, Seattle (1) 177

*

THIRD TEAM

F Tracy McGrady, Houston (15) 264

F Shawn Marion, Phoenix 134

C Ben Wallace, Detroit 105

G Kobe Bryant, Lakers (1) 108

G Gilbert Arenas, Washington (1) 104