LeBron is first-team All-NBA selection

NEW YORK (AP) — LeBron James should be getting used to sweeps by now.

The Cavaliers star was a unanimous selection to the All-NBA first team Wednesday, after leading his team to a league-best regular season record and a pair of playoff sweeps of the Pistons and Hawks.

James was put on the first team on every ballot of 122 sportswriters and broadcasters who regularly cover the league. Kobe Bryant of the Lakers finished second in voting, making the first team on 119 ballots, while Dwight Howard of the Magic, Dwyane Wade of the Heat and Dirk Nowitzki of the Mavericks rounded out the first team.

James was a first-team selection for the second straight season after finishing second in the NBA in scoring at 28.4 points and ranking in the top 10 in steals and assists. He led the Cavaliers to a franchise-best 66-16 record, including a 39-2 mark at home.

“It doesn’t surprise me at all,” Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said of James, who in addition to winning MVP, finished second in voting for best defensive player. “It comes with being the MVP. He’s proven he can do it all.”

Howard had 17 rebounds but just 12 points while taking only 10 shots in the Magic’s 92-88 loss on Tuesday night, but he’s the biggest reason Orlando is still alive.

After becoming only the fourth player to lead the league in rebounding and blocked shots since 1973-74, when the block became an official statistic, the 6-foot-11 forward has averaged 20 points and leads all players with 16.1 rebounds in the postseason.

Bryant finished third in the league with 26.8 points, leading the Lakers to a Western Conference-best 65-17 finish.

Wade was a first-team selection for the first time after leading the league in scoring at 30.2 points, finishing second in steals and eighth in assists. He also became the fifth player in league history to reach 2,000 points, 500 assists, and 150 steals in a season.

Nowitzki was the league’s fourth-leading scorer and helped the Mavericks to a 50-32 finish.

The second team consisted of New Orleans guard Chris Paul, Brandon Roy of the Trail Blazers, Tim Duncan of the Spurs, Paul Pierce of the Celtics and Houston center Yao Ming.

The third team has Denver’s Chauncey Billups and San Antonio’s Tony Parker at guard, Denver’s Carmelo Anthony and the Lakers’ Pau Gasol at forward, and Shaquille O’Neal of the Suns at center.