CLEVELAND -- The NBA announced Thursday that Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James has been named to the 2014-15 All-NBA First Team and Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving has been named to the 2014-15 All-NBA Third Team. James was tied for the NBA-lead with 645 points, receiving all 129 possible First Team votes.
The honor marks his ninth overall First Team selection (tied with Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson for third-most all-time) and eighth straight. Irving is selected to his first All-NBA team. The All-NBA Teams were chosen by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. The media voted for All-NBA First, Second and Third Teams by position with points awarded on a 5-3-1 basis.
James, a four-time MVP and 11-time NBA All-Star, appeared in 69 games (all starts) for the Cavaliers with averages of 25.3 points (3rd in NBA) on .488 shooting, 6.0 rebounds, 7.4 assists (7th in NBA) and 1.6 steals (18th in NBA) in 36.1 minutes.
It was James 11th consecutive season averaging at least 25.0 points per game, which is tied with Karl Malone (1987-88 to 1997-98) and Jerry West (1961-62 to 1971-72) for the most consecutive seasons with at least 25.0 points in NBA history (min. 30 games). James earned the Kia NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month twice in 2014-15 (February and March), as well as the Player of the Week award three times (week ending Nov. 16, Nov. 30 & Jan. 25).
Despite missing 13 games this past season, James was one of only three players in the NBA to tally 1,700 points, 500 assists, 400 rebounds and 100 steals (James Harden, Russell Westbrook) and ranked ninth in the league in plus/minus at +541. The 6-8 forward scored in double figures in all 69 games, increasing his consecutive double-digit scoring streak to 641 (third-longest streak in NBA history).
In addition to scoring in double figures every game he appeared in, James had 52 games of at least 20 points, 18 games of at least 30 points and three 40-point outings. He also registered 22 double-doubles and two triple-doubles.
Irving, a three-time NBA All-Star, played in 75 games (all starts) and averaged 21.7 points (9th in NBA) on .468 shooting, 3.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.5 steals in 36.4 minutes per game. It was his fourth straight season with averages at least 18.0 points, 5.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game, becoming the fifth player in league history to accomplish that feat (LeBron James, Oscar Robertson, Grant Hill, Steve Francis).
Irving was one of only two players in the NBA to average at least 20.0 points, 5.0 assists and 2.5 or few turnovers per game in 2014-15 (Blake Griffin), as he also shot a career-high .415 from three-point range (8th in NBA) and .863 from the free throw line (18th). The four-year guard made a career-high 157 three-pointers last season, the fourth-most by a Cavs player in a single season.
He was a two-time Player of the Week award winner (week ending Feb. 2 and March 15) and scored at least 10 points in 68 games, at least 20 points on 45 occasions, 10 30-point outings and two 50-point outings. Irving had the two highest scoring games by any NBA player in 2014-15 (57 points at San Antonio on 3/12 and 55 points vs. Portland on 1/28), becoming the first player in team history with multiple 55-point games in a season and the first NBA player to do so since Kobe Bryant for the 2006-07 Lakers.
(Cleveland Cavaliers press release)
