MIAMI — They weren’t the Big Three then. But on Feb. 19, 2006, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh all got together in Houston for the first time at an NBA All-Star Game.
The All-Star Game is back in Houston next month. And for the eighth consecutive year, the three stars all will be teammates for the Eastern Conference.
Bosh, a Miami center, was named as a reserve Thursday to his eighth consecutive All-Star Game. He will join Heat teammates James and Wade, who received the nod last week as starters — both will be appearing in their ninth straight All-Star Game.
It’s the third year in a row all three have been named All-Stars with the Heat. While all of Wade’s appearances have come with Miami, James’ first six were with Cleveland and Bosh’s first five with Toronto.
James, Wade and Bosh now have three of the four longest consecutive All-Star streaks in the NBA. Only Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, who has been selected a record 15 consecutive times, can claim a longer one than James and Wade.
Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki had an 11-game streak. But it will come to an end after he wasn’t named as a West reserve for the Feb. 17 game at the Toyota Center.
Other East reserves selected Thursday were New York's Tyson Chandler, Chicago's Joakim Noah and Luol Deng, Indiana's Paul George, Philadelphia's Jrue Holiday and Cleveland's Kyrie Irving.
The West reserves are Houston's James Harden, Golden State's David Lee, San Antonio's Tony Parker and Tim Duncan, Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook, Memphis' Zach Randolph and Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge.
Bosh, whose only All-Star start came with the Raptors in 2007, wasn’t a lock to be named a reserve as he had been in past years. Bosh is averaging 17.3 points, on pace to be his lowest since 2004-05, and 7.2 rebounds, in line to be a career worst.
Bosh wasn’t immediately available for comment after the selections were announced. But he had made it clear he expected to hear his name called.
"I feel I'm one of the best players in the league," Bosh had said. "Whether it's debatable or not, I really don't care. It's about what I think and that's it."
One thing is not debatable. Of the All-Stars who got together in 2006 in Houston, Bosh is one of just four to have made it every year since then.
Chris Tomasson can be reached at christomasson@hotmail.com or on Twitter @christomasson
