NBA All-Star Voters Still Love Hill

NEW YORK —  Even though Michael Jordan is back and tearing through the NBA again, Grant Hill remains the fans’ favorite in voting for the All-Star game.

In the closest balloting since 1977, the Detroit Pistons’ forward drew the most votes of any player in All-Star fan balloting, edging Jordan by 16,582 votes. Out of more than 6 million votes cast by fans, Hill got 1,358,004 votes to 1,341,422 for Jordan.

“I just hope that Michael isn’t ticked off because I got more votes than him,” Hill joked Thursday after the vote totals were announced.

The narrowest margin between top vote-getters was in 1977, when Denver’s David Thompson and edged Philadelphia’s Julius Erving by 8,530 votes.

Hill and Jordan will be joined in the Eastern Conference starting lineup by Jordan’s Chicago teammate Scottie Pippen at the other forward spot, Orlando’s Shaquille O’Neal at center and Anfernee Hardaway at point guard.

For the West, it will be Dallas’ Jason Kidd at the point, Seattle’s Shawn Kemp and Phoenix’s Charles Barkley at forward, and Houston’s Hakeem Olajuwon at center and Clyde Drexler at shooting guard.

Reserves for both teams will be chosen by NBA coaches and announced Tuesday.