NEW YORK -- Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard was named to his first All-NBA first team, the league announced on Thursday.

Joining Howard is Los Angeles Lakers guard and league MVP Kobe Bryant, New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul, Boston Celtics forward and Defensive Player of the Year Kevin Garnett, and Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James.

Howard averaged a career-best 20.7 points per game while leading the league with 14.2 rebounds an outing, becoming the youngest player in league history to pull off the feat (22 years, 130 days).

Bryant, who was awarded his first MVP in a pre-game ceremony before the Lakers-Jazz contest on Wednesday, registered 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists a game for the Western Conference's top seed.

Paul dished out a league-best 11.6 assists per game to go with 21.1 points and 4.0 rebounds an outing in leading the surprising Hornets to the No. 2 seed in the immensely competitive West.

Garnett averaged 9.2 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 1.4 steals while chipping in 14.8 points per game for Eastern Conference No. 1 seed Boston, which recorded the biggest one-year turnaround in NBA history by winning 42 more games than its 2006-07 campaign.

James, earning his second first-team honors, led the NBA in scoring (30.0 ppg), adding 7.9 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game. He joined Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan as the only players to average at least 30.0 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.2 assists in a single season.

All five players have led their respective teams into the second round of the NBA playoffs.

The All-NBA second team included Phoenix's Steve Nash and Utah's Deron Williams at guard, San Antonio's Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki at forward, and Amare Stoudemire of Phoenix at center.

The All-NBA third team consists of San Antonio's Manu Ginobili and Houston's Tracy McGrady at guard, Utah's Carlos Boozer and Boston's Paul Pierce at forwards, and Houston's Yao Ming at center.