LOS ANGELES (AP) - Kobe Bryant won his first NBA player of the year award Tuesday after leading the Los Angeles Lakers to the best record in the league's Western Conference.
He will receive the trophy Wednesday night from National Basketball Association commissioner David Stern before the Lakers face Utah in Game 2 of their conference playoff semifinal series. Bryant was followed in the voting Tuesday by Chris Paul, Kevin Garnett and LeBron James.
Bryant entered the season as the league's two-time defending scoring champion but had finished only as high as third in voting for the Most Valuable Player award. He averaged 28.3 points while playing all 82 games despite tearing a pinkie ligament in February.