NBA Notebook | Bobcats rookie sent to D-league; All-Star starters revealed

Bobcats rookie Davidson sent to D-league

The Charlotte Bobcats sent rookie big man Jermareo Davidson to their developmental-league affiliate in Sioux Falls, N.D.

The team contemplated this move for months. The Bobcats started to option him to the D-league in December, only to rescind that decision when they made the two-for-one trade that swapped Primoz Brezec and Walter Herrmann for Detroit's Nazr Mohammed.

While coach Sam Vincent wanted Davidson to get the experience the D-league offers, he figured he needed Davidson as a practice player. Except, as it turns out, the Bobcats seldom hold full-scale practices these days, to rest the core players' legs.

Davidson has played in five of the team's past 29 games.

-- Rick Bonnell

All-Star starters announced

With a late rally, Allen Iverson is an All-Star starter again.

Iverson surged from behind in the fan voting to earn a starting spot in next month's game when the vote totals were released Thursday. Denver Nuggets teammate Carmelo Anthony will join him in New Orleans after earning his first start

Lakers star Kobe Bryant will team with Iverson in the Western Conference backcourt. Houston center Yao Ming was voted in by the fans for the sixth straight season at center, and San Antonio's Tim Duncan was chosen at forward. He has been selected to every All-Star game since entering the league in 1997.

Boston's Kevin Garnett, the MVP of the 2003 game, was the leading vote-getter with 2,399,148 votes. He will be joined in the East frontcourt by Cleveland forward LeBron James and Orlando center Dwight Howard, a first-time starter. Miami's Dwyane Wade and New Jersey guard Jason Kidd round out the starting lineup.

Iverson rallied to pass Houston's Tracy McGrady to earn his first start since moving to the Western Conference early last season. He started seven straight All-Star games while playing for Philadelphia, but fell short last year after the 76ers dealt him to the Nuggets in December 2006. The two-time MVP of the All-Star game beat McGrady by 10,410 votes and will make his ninth appearance on Feb. 17 in New Orleans.

• Miami's Jeremy Richardson, who was with the Heat in training camp, was inactive for San Antonio. He's on a second 10-day contract with the Spurs.

• Milwaukee's Mo Williams returned after missing one game with a sprained pinky finger. -- observer news services