Houston Rockets' Yao Ming has narrowly edged the Los Angles Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal for the West's starting center position in the coming NBA All-star Game.

Houston Rockets' Yao Ming has narrowly edged the Los Angles Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal for the West's starting center position in the coming NBA All-star Game.

In the just finished NBA All-Star Balloting Program, the Chinese Moving Great Wall received almost 1.4 million votes, over 30 thousand more than O'Neal.

It is the second time for Yao Ming to be selected in the All-star Game since the he joined NBA in 2002.

Vince Carter of the Toronto Raptors received the most votes, with just over 2.1 million.

The 53rd NBA All-Star Game will be played at Staples Center in Los Angeles next Sunday.

List of starters in the All-star Game :

Eastern Conference

F - Vince Carter, Toronto

F - Jermaine O'Neal, Indiana

C - Ben Wallace, Detroit

G - Allen Iverson, Philadelphia

G - Tracy McGrady, Orlando

Coach: Rick Carlisle, Indiana

Western Conference

F - Tim Duncan, San Antonio

F - Kevin Garnett, Minnesota

C - Yao Ming, Houston

G - Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers

G - Steve Francis, Houston

Coach: Flip Saunders, Minnesota

(CRI online January 30, 2004)