Source: Xinhua

05-07-2008 09:57

BEIJING, May 7 -- Kobe Bryant won his first NBA player of the year award yesterday after leading the Los Angeles Lakers to the best record in the league's Western Conference.

Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant (R), accepts the National Basketball  Association's most valuable player award from Alex Fedorak, director  of public relations with Kia Motors Tuesday, May 6, 2008, in Los Angeles.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

He will receive the trophy tonight from National Basketball Association commissioner David Stern before the Lakers face Utah in Game 2 of their conference playoff semifinal series. Bryant was followed in the voting by journalists by Chris Paul, Kevin Garnett and LeBron James.

"It's Hollywood, it's a movie script. The perfect ending would be for us to hold a championship trophy at the end of it," Bryant said at a news conference attended by his teammates, club officials, his wife and two daughters.

"This is an award I couldn't have won on my own. I can't thank these guys (his teammates) enough. These are my guys, these are my brothers. Let's get ready for tomorrow."

Bryant entered the season as the league's two-time defending scoring champion but had finished only as high as third in voting for the Most Valuable Player award. He averaged 28.3 points while playing all 82 games despite tearing a pinkie ligament in February.