NEW YORK (AP) Kobe Bryant was selected to start in the NBA All-Star game, voted in by fans despite a sexual assault charge.

The Los Angeles Lakers star led Western Conference guards with 1,759,717 votes in final results released Thursday, fourth among all players.

He was picked to start in front of his hometown fans at Staples Center on Feb. 15 in the 53rd NBA All-Star game.

Bryant's teammate, Shaquille O'Neal, was beaten out for the second straight year by Houston's Yao Ming. The Chinese center edged O'Neal by less than 32,000 votes.

``That's cool,'' O'Neal said. ``Where he's from there are 2 trillion people.''

But it was O'Neal who got more electronic votes from fans around the world, while Yao had the advantage in paper ballots available in the United States and Canada.

Joining Bryant and Yao on the Western Conference squad were Rockets guard Steve Francis, San Antonio forward Tim Duncan and Minnesota forward Kevin Garnett, last year's All-Star game MVP.

Toronto Raptors forward Vince Carter led all players with 2,127,183 votes. It's the fourth time he's finished first in the voting, tied for second all-time with Julius Erving. Michael Jordan holds the record with nine.

Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal will be the other starting forward for the Eastern Conference. The center is Ben Wallace of the Detroit Pistons, and the guards are Philadelphia's Allen Iverson and Orlando's Tracy McGrady.

Bryant is charged with sexual assault for allegedly raping a 19-year-old employee at a Colorado resort during the offseason. He faces four years to life in prison or 20 years to life on probation if convicted of felony sexual assault. Bryant, 25, says the two had consensual sex.

It's been a tough season for Bryant on the court as well.

He leads Los Angeles in scoring at 21.7 points per game, but he missed six games because of a sprained right shoulder and has heard plenty of boos on the road, where the Lakers are 7-12.

The 29 head coaches will vote for the reserves in their respective conferences. Those results will be announced Feb. 3.

Indiana's Rick Carlisle will coach the Eastern Conference All-Stars. Flip Saunders of the Minnesota Timberwolves will lead the West.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) Lakers star Kobe Bryant was placed on the injured list Friday because of a severe cut on his right index finger that will keep him out of action for at least a week.

The Lakers said Bryant needed nine to 10 stitches to close the wound. He was injured Thursday when he accidentally put his hand through a glass window while trying to move some boxes which were in storage in his garage, the team said.

Bryant will be eligible to return Feb. 8 when the Lakers play at Orlando in the fifth game of a seven-game road trip leading up to the All-Star break.

Bryant played two games after missing six because of a sprained right shoulder that clearly bothered him during Wednesday night's 96-82 victory over Seattle.

Bryant was going to have to miss Monday night's game at Indiana to attend a two-day hearing related to his sexual assault case in Eagle, Colo. He has been charged with allegedly raping a 19-year-old hotel employee last summer and faces four years to life in prison or 20 years to life on probation if convicted of felony sexual assault. He says the two had consensual sex.

The Lakers said Bryant will meet the team in Cleveland and be re-evaluated at that time. They play the Cavaliers on Wednesday night.

Bryant is averaging 21.7 points to rank ninth in the NBA along with 4.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists. He was voted into the starting lineup for the Western Conference in the All-Star game, to be played Feb. 15 at Staples Center.

The Lakers didn't immediately replace Bryant on their active roster.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) The Utah Jazz were fined by the NBA for a mock phone call that made fun of Karl Malone and teammate Kobe Bryant during a timeout of the Los Angeles Lakers' game at Utah last week.

Jazz president Dennis Haslam confirmed Friday that the team had been fined, but would not confirm reports that it was $15,000. The NBA did not return a phone call seeking comment.

``There's really not a lot to say. We had an incident, we sent an apology and the NBA has fined us,'' Haslam said Friday.

During a timeout during the game last Saturday, Jazz mascot ``Bear'' answered a fake call that was broadcast over the loudspeakers. The caller imitated Malone's voice and identified himself as ``Mail,'' saying he wanted to come ``home,'' L.A. fans were ``mean'' to him and the Lakers don't pass him the ball.

The call ended with the impersonated voice saying, ``I guess it could be worse. I could be Ko...,'' stopping short of saying Kobe.

Bryant had spent the previous day in Colorado, where he's facing a trial on a sexual assault charge.

Malone, who did not attend the game, was offended that the Jazz alluded to Bryant's sexual assault case in part of a joke.

``For them to put that out there about him, that's disrespectful,'' Malone said before the Lakers' home game against Seattle on Wednesday night. ``I will never, ever forgive them for this. No class at all.''

Malone, who played 18 seasons with the Jazz, is on the injured list and did not return to Salt Lake City for his first game as a Utah opponent.

Jazz spokesman Kim Turner, who also would not confirm the amount of the fine on Friday, said Malone's comments were the first negative feedback he had heard about the skit since the game.

``The Utah Jazz have extended an apology to the Los Angeles Lakers organization,'' Turner said Thursday, without elaborating.

DENVER (AP) In a setback for Kobe Bryant, a judge ruled Friday that notes made by a victim's advocate who sat in on a police interview with the woman Bryant is accused of raping cannot be given to defense attorneys.

State District Judge Terry Ruckriegle wrote that state law provides such strong privacy protection for communications between victims and victim advocates that he cannot even review the notes in private to determine whether they are relevant to the case.

Bryant, 25, has said he had consensual sex with the 19-year-old woman. The Los Angeles Lakers star faces four years to life in prison or 20 years to life on probation if convicted of felony sexual assault.

He is scheduled to appear in Eagle for a hearing Monday and Tuesday before Ruckriegle for arguments on his attorneys' request to throw out evidence including statements Bryant made during an interview with investigators. The defense is also seeking the woman's medical history.

The victim's advocate, whose name has not been released, sat in during a police interview of the woman on July 1, the day after the alleged attack at a resort near Vail.

The advocate made some notes later, and Ruckriegle has said the defense was particularly interested in a single sentence.

While the notes may not have stemmed from direct communication between the alleged victim and the advocate, they still were made as part of the advocate's work with the woman, the judge said.

LOS ANGELES (AP) The Lakers signed guard Maurice Carter to a 10-day contract Friday, replacing Kobe Bryant on the active roster.

Bryant was placed on the injured list earlier Friday because of a cut on his right index finger.

Carter was with the Lakers through training camp and played in two preseason games, averaging 1.0 points and 0.5 assists in 5.5 minutes.

He has been playing with the CBA's Dakota Wizards, averaging 19.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 30.7 minutes.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) The Utah Jazz apologized Thursday for a mock phone call that made fun of Karl Malone and teammate Kobe Bryant during a timeout of the Lakers' game at Utah last week.

Malone, who did not attend the game last Saturday, was offended that the Jazz alluded to Bryant's sexual assault case in part of a joke.

``For them to put that out there about him, that's disrespectful,'' Malone said. ``I will never, ever forgive them for this. No class at all.''

Malone, who played 18 seasons with the Jazz, is on the injured list and did not return to Salt Lake City for his first game as an opponent.

During a stoppage, Jazz mascot ``Bear'' answered a fake call that was broadcast over the loudspeakers. The caller imitated Malone's voice and identified himself as ``Mail,'' saying he wanted to come ``home,'' L.A. fans were ``mean'' to him and the Lakers don't pass him the ball.

The call ended with the imitator saying, ``I guess it could be worse. I could be Ko...,'' stopping short of saying Kobe.

Bryant had spent the previous day in Colorado, where he's facing a trial on a sexual assault charge.

``That kind of stuff there is like pathetic. If an athlete would have did that, we'd have been talking about it for the rest of the year on SportsCenter,'' Malone said before the Lakers' home game against Seattle on Wednesday night.

Jazz spokesman Kim Turner said Malone's comments were the first negative feedback he has heard about the skit since the game.

``The Utah Jazz have extended an apology to the Los Angeles Lakers organization,'' Turner said, without elaborating.

Later in the game, Jazz owner Larry Miller was handed a cell phone for a second call from the fake Malone and was cheered when he promptly hung up.

Miller did not immediately return a message seeking comment Thursday.

Malone said he had no problem with the Jazz poking fun at him, but the Bryant reference was in poor taste.

The Lakers return to Utah on March 8, and it is uncertain whether Malone will be able to play. His right knee has been slow to heal, and now it looks as though Malone will not be able to return until mid-March at the earliest.

``I guarantee you, I'll have the last say on this. You can print that. That little skit they did, it'll cost them. I guarantee you,'' Malone said.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) The Los Angeles Lakers are hoping Karl Malone will be healthy enough to play the final 20 games of the regular season.

That would give the team and the injured forward, out since Dec. 23, sufficient time playing together to prepare for the playoffs.

Still, concern looms.

Malone's right knee has been slow to heal. Originally, it was thought he'd return Feb. 17, the first game after the All-Star break. Now, it appears Malone won't play until mid-March at the earliest.

``We have to do an extended healing process,'' coach Phil Jackson said Thursday. ``The swelling in the knee has to go down for him to heal that knee up, and it's not happening as rapidly as we wanted. ``

Malone underwent a second series of MRI tests Monday, revealing the damage still remained. The injury, first called a ligament sprain, is now being referred to as a ligament tear.

Jackson also believes Malone will quickly fit in when he returns despite playing only 24 games earlier this season.

``Knowing he's aggressive, how he plays his defense, how he runs the court will assist us in accommodating the lineup when he gets back,'' Jackson said.

The Lakers were 20-5 before the two-time NBA MVP was injured, but are 7-10 since.

Shaquille O'Neal doesn't foresee Malone struggling when he's healthy.

``Karl is going to be very eager and going to have a lot of rest,'' O'Neal said. ``And we haven't seen a Karl like that in a long time. He works out every day. He's not going to have a problem.''

The health of the two-time NBA MVP, in his first season with Los Angeles after 18 years with the Utah Jazz, isn't the only concern for the Lakers,

Kobe Bryant is still battling an aching shoulder, and he didn't practice Thursday.

The injury _ a sprain in his right shoulder joint _ kept Bryant out of the lineup for six games earlier this month. Then he returned for the last two.

O'Neal, who missed 12 games with an injured right calf, said it felt fine Thursday.

``I'm really concerned with Kobe and Shaquille,'' Jackson said. ``Our team has to start functioning with them on the court and with Kobe not being able to practice is a major problem for us right now.''

Bryant will miss next Monday's game in Indiana to attend a court hearing in Colorado in his sexual assault case.

NEW YORK (AP) The Los Angeles Lakers have an estimated $447 value, according to Forbes, making the team the most valuable in the NBA.

The New York Knicks were second at $401 million, followed by the Chicago Bulls ($356 million), Dallas Mavericks ($338 million) and Philadelphia 76ers ($328 million), the magazine said in its Feb. 16 issue, which was released Thursday.

The Milwaukee Bucks had the lowest value at $174 million. The NBA champion San Antonio Spurs were eighth at $283 million.

DENVER (AP) A judge ruled Thursday that any evidence or testimony about statements Kobe Bryant made to investigators in his sexual assault case will be heard behind closed doors next week.

Discussions of whether the evidence was obtained legally, however, will be open to the public, state District Judge Terry Ruckriegle said.

The two-day hearing that begins Monday was scheduled to address a request by Bryant's attorneys to throw out statements the NBA star made to investigators the night he allegedly raped a 19-year-old employee at a Colorado resort near Vail. The defense also wants to suppress any evidence obtained as a result of the statements.

Bryant, 25, faces four years to life in prison or 20 years to life on probation if convicted of felony sexual assault. The Los Angeles Lakers' star says the two had consensual sex.

In his decision, the judge said Bryant's statements include details that are ``personal, highly sensitive, clearly irrelevant to this case or subject to a challenge as to relevance.'' He said the material also could threaten Bryant's right to a fair trial.

Ruckriegle rejected suggestions from attorneys for media organizations, including The Associated Press, that there are other ways to protect Bryant's rights, including extensive questioning of potential jurors.

The judge cited court rulings from around the country that said constitutional guarantees occasionally have to be restricted to other constitutional rights. One ruling concluded the interest of a defendant to a fair trial is paramount and could require limits on free-speech and free-press rights.

Defense attorney Hal Haddon has said Eagle County sheriff's investigators illegally taped statements Bryant made during an interview in his hotel room early July 2. He also has said the investigators obtained evidence through abuse of search warrants.

Sheriff Joseph Hoy has defended his investigators' actions, and District Attorney Mark Hurlbert has said he has no concerns about how the investigation was conducted.

The physical evidence in question includes clothing taken from Bryant and from his hotel room, and evidence obtained during an examination at a hospital.

The Los Angeles Lakers don't expect Karl Malone to return to the team until mid-to-late March.

Malone's injury description has also been changed from a sprained medial collateral ligament to a torn medial collateral ligament.

"Team publicist John Black acknowledged Wednesday the organization had been "overly optimistic" in its initial predictions that Malone could return in four to six weeks. Malone has been under the care of team physician Steve Lombardo and recently sought and received a second opinion. Neither doctor recommended surgery, though Malone's return date was pushed back at least a month."

"I'm getting better," Malone said. "Slowly but surely."

With Malone out, the team is looking to possibily bring in Tyrone Hill or Cherokee Parks.

Scott Williams was mentioned but he is likely headed to the Dallas Mavericks.