LeBron selected to All-NBA First Team for record 12th time; Lillard picked ahead of Westbrook

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James has been unanimously selected to the 2017-18 All-NBA First Team, giving him an NBA-record 12 First Team honors in his 15-year career.  James has passed Kobe Bryant and Karl Malone, who both finished with 11 First Team selections

Houston Rockets guard James Harden also received All-NBA First Team votes on all 100 ballots, joining James as a unanimous selection.  Harden, who led the NBA in scoring average (30.4 ppg) and three-pointers made (265) for the league-best Rockets, was unanimously voted to the First Team for the second season in a row.

The First Team also features New Orleans Pelicans center/forward Anthony Davis (96 First Team votes), Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (71) and Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (63).  Lillard earned his first selection to the All-NBA First Team, and was picked ahead of Russell Westbrook .

James, Harden and Davis are the three finalists for the 2017-18 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award.  The winner will be revealed at the 2018 NBA Awards presented by Kia on Monday, June 25 on TNT (9 p.m. ET).  The second annual NBA Awards, honoring this season’s top performers, will take place at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif.

Complete voting results by media member will be posted at pr.nba.com the night of the NBA Awards presented by Kia.  Click here for the list of 100 media voters for the 2017-18 All-NBA Teams.

2017-18 All-NBA First Team

Anthony Davis, Pelicans (28.1 ppg/11.1 rpg/2.57 bpg/53.4 FG%): Davis led the NBA in blocks average, ranked second in scoring average and finished fifth in rebounding average.  A 2017-18 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award finalist, Davis became the first player to have at least 2,000 points, 800 rebounds, 150 blocks and 100 steals in a season since David Robinson in 1995-96.

Kevin Durant, Warriors (26.4 ppg/6.8 rpg/5.4 apg/1.75 bpg): The four-time scoring champion ranked sixth in the NBA in points per game.  He averaged a career high in blocks, finishing fifth in that category.

James Harden, Rockets (30.4 ppg/8.8 apg/5.4 rpg/1.75 spg): Harden joined Michael Jordan (1988-89) as the only players to average at least 30.0 points, 8.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.70 steals per game in a season.  He recorded the first 60-point triple-double in NBA history and was the only player to produce multiple 50-point games this season (four).

LeBron James, Cavaliers (27.5 ppg/9.1 apg/8.6 rpg/54.2 FG%): Playing 82 games for the first time, James ranked second in the NBA in triple-doubles with a career-high 18 and posted his highest assists average.  The four-time Kia NBA MVP averaged at least 25.0 points for the 14^th straight season, extending his record streak.

Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers (26.9 ppg/6.6 apg/4.5 rpg/91.6 FT%): He tied for fourth in the NBA in scoring average, the highest finish by a Portland player since Clyde Drexler was fourth in the 1991-92 season.  Lillard had the NBA’s third-highest free throw percentage and tied for sixth in three-pointers made with 227.

 

2017-18 All-NBA Second Team

LaMarcus Aldridge, Spurs (23.1 ppg/8.5 rpg/1.20 bpg/51.0 FG%): He recorded 21 games with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds, up from three such games in the 2016-17 season.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks (26.9 ppg/10.0 rpg/4.8 apg/52.9 FG%): His scoring average, rebounding average and field goal percentage were all career highs.  Antetokounmpo’s 26.9 points per game ranked as the most by a Bucks player since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar averaged 30.0 points in the 1974-75 season.

DeMar DeRozan, Raptors (23.0 ppg/5.2 apg/3.9 rpg/1.06 spg): DeRozan set a career high in assists average while leading Toronto to a team-record 59 wins and the best record in the Eastern Conference for the first time.

Joel Embiid, 76ers (22.9 ppg/11.0 rpg/3.2 apg/1.76 bpg): A finalist for the 2017-18 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award, Embiid ranked 12^th in the NBA in scoring average, tied for sixth in rebounding average and fourth in blocks average.

Russell Westbrook, Thunder (25.4 ppg/10.3 apg/10.1 rpg/1.84 spg): The 2016-17 Kia NBA MVP averaged a triple-double for the second season in a row, becoming the first player to average a triple-double in multiple seasons.  He finished with an NBA-high 25 triple-doubles and led the league in assists average for the first time.

 

2017-18 All-NBA Third Team 

Jimmy Butler, Timberwolves (22.2 ppg/5.3 rpg/4.9 apg/1.97 spg): In his first season with Minnesota, Butler shot a career-high 47.4 percent from the field, ranked fourth in the NBA in steals average and was selected to the 2017-18 NBA All-Defensive Second Team.

Stephen Curry, Warriors (26.4 ppg/6.1 apg/5.1 rpg/1.57 spg): The two-time Kia NBA MVP led the NBA in true shooting percentage (67.5) as he connected on 49.5 percent from the field, 42.3 percent from three-point range and a league-high 92.1 percent from the free throw line.

Paul George, Thunder (21.9 ppg/5.7 rpg/3.3 rpg/2.04 spg): George ranked second in the NBA in three-pointers made (244) and steals average, setting career highs in both categories.

Victor Oladipo, Pacers (23.1 ppg/5.2 rpg/4.3 apg/2.36 spg): The 2017-18 Kia NBA Most Improved Player Award finalist averaged career highs across the board and shot career highs from the field (47.7 percent) and three-point range (37.1 percent).  Oladipo, a 2017-18 NBA All-Defensive First Team choice, led the league in steals.

Karl-Anthony Towns, Timberwolves (21.3 ppg/12.3 rpg/1.40 bpg/54.5 FG%): In his third season, Towns led the NBA in double-doubles with 68, ranked fourth in rebounding average and finished in the top 15 in blocks average, field goal percentage and three-point field goal percentage (42.1).

Below are the voting results for the 2017-18 All-NBA Teams.  The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm Ernst & Young LLP.

Other players receiving votes, with point totals: Chris Paul (Houston), 54; Rudy Gobert (Utah), 51; Kyrie Irving (Boston), 42; Ben Simmons (Philadelphia), 36; Al Horford (Boston), 32; Nikola Jokic (Denver), 28; Andre Drummond (Detroit), 7; Clint Capela (Houston), 6; Draymond Green (Golden State), 6; Kyle Lowry (Toronto), 3; Steven Adams (Oklahoma City), 2; Donovan Mitchell (Utah), 2; Klay Thompson (Golden State), 2; Trevor Ariza (Houston), 1; DeMarcus Cousins (New Orleans), 1; Dwight Howard (Charlotte), 1; Kevin Love (Cleveland), 1; Kristaps Porzingis (New York), 1.