LeBron tops NBA All-Defensive squad

NEW YORK (AFP) –

LeBron James led Miami with 1.9 steals a game and grabbed a team-high 6.4 defensive rebounds a game

NBA 2012 Most Valuable Player LeBron James of the Miami Heat, pictured here on May 17, was the top vote-getter among those named on Wednesday to the NBA 2012 All-Defensive Team.

NBA 2012 Most Valuable Player LeBron James, the Miami Heat playmaker still seeking his first NBA title, was the top vote-getter among those named on Wednesday to the NBA 2012 All-Defensive Team.

James received 24 first-team votes and 53 points overall in voting by NBA coaches, who were not allowed to select players from their own clubs.

Joining James on the All-Defensive lineup were Oklahoma City forward Serge Ibaka, a Congolese-born Spaniard; Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard and guards Tony Allen of Memphis and Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Ibaka, who led the NBA with 3.65 blocked shots a game, had 47 points with Howard, the NBA rebound leader with 14.5 a game, next on 41 followed by Paul, who led the NBA with 2.53 steals a game, on 35 and Allen with 33.

James led the Heat to a 46-20 regular-season record and the second seed in the Eastern Conference after sparking the team’s run to last year’s NBA Finals, where the Heat lost to Dallas.

This year, the Heat own a 3-2 lead in a best-of-seven second-round playoff series against Indiana.

James led Miami with 1.9 steals a game and grabbed a team-high 6.4 defensive rebounds a game. The Heat defensive unit ranked fourth in the NBA in scoring defense, third in forcing turnovers and fifth in shooting defense.

The NBA All-Defensive Second Team consisted of guards Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and Rajon Rondo of Boston, center Tyson Chandler of New York and forward Kevin Garnett of Boston and Luol Deng of Chicago.