Latest honor puts Duncan in elite company

NEW YORK — Tim Duncan became only the fifth player to earn All-NBA first-team honors in each of his first eight seasons Wednesday, joining Hall of Famers Larry Bird, George Mikan, Bob Pettit and Oscar Robertson.

Duncan, who averaged 20.3 points and 11.1 rebounds in leading San Antonio to its eighth consecutive playoff appearance, finished third behind Miami center Shaquille O'Neal and NBA MVP Steve Nash in voting by a 124-member media panel.

O'Neal, a seven-time first-team selection, received 122 first-place votes and 616 points. Nash was second with 118 first-place votes and 606 points, and Duncan got 95 first-place votes and 553 points. Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki earned the second forward spot opposite Duncan, and Philadelphia's Allen Iverson joined Nash at guard.

Nash, a first-time first-team selection, averaged 15.5 points and an NBA-best 11.5 assists to help Phoenix top the regular-season standings in his first season with the team. Iverson, the league scoring champion at 30.7 points per game, was selected to the first team for the third time, while Nowitzki earned his first first-team berth.

Cleveland's LeBron James was selected to the second team along with fellow forward Kevin Garnett of Minnesota, Phoenix center Amare Stoudemire, and Miami's Dwyane Wade and Seattle's Ray Allen. Houston's Tracy McGrady and the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant joined Phoenix's Shawn Marion, Washington's Gilbert Arenas and Detroit's Ben Wallace on the third team.

VAN GUNDY GETS TWO-YEAR EXTENSION: Houston coach Jeff Van Gundy agreed Wednesday to a one-year contract extension with the Rockets through the 2007-08 season.

Van Gundy has two years remaining on his original four-year deal that he signed in June 2003 and paid him $18 million. Terms of the extension weren't immediately available.

"Once you get good people, you want to keep them," Rockets general manager Carroll Dawson said. "He's one of the ones you want to keep. He got us back on the path we want to go."

Van Gundy has led the Rockets to two straight playoff appearances, turning around a franchise that had missed the postseason for four consecutive seasons.

He might have done his best coaching job last season, helping the Rockets recover from a 6-11 start en route to a 51-31 finish and the No. 5 seed in the West despite three midseason trades that dramatically changed the makeup of the team. The Rockets lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs.