By Jay Bestill - thefamousjay@yahoo.com

The NBA All-Stars come out to play Sunday night at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. Here’s a look at the starters and reserves on the Western and Eastern Conference rosters.

Western Conference starters
Kobe Bryant – Kobe Bryant came to the Los Angeles Lakers in a trade with the Charlotte Hornets for Vlade Divac. Along with Shaquille O'Neal, Bryant helped lead the Lakers to three consecutive NBA titles from 2000-2002. On January 22, 2006, Bryant scored 81 points in a game against the Toronto Raptors. In 2009, he won his fourth NBA title. He’s the 1997 Slam Dunk Champion and a three-time NBA All-Star Game MVP (2002, 2007, and 2009 (with Shaquille O'Neal)).

Steve Nash –Nash began his career with the Phoenix Suns, where he played behind Jason Kidd and Kevin Johnson. After his rookie season, Nash was dealt to the Dallas Mavericks, where he played alongside Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Finley. He returned to the Suns via free agency and won NBA MVPs in 2005 and 2006. Nash is a seven-time NBA All-Star.

Amar’e Stoudemire –Stoudemire was drafted by the Phoenix Suns with the ninth pick in the 2002 NBA Draft. Coming straight out of Cypress Creek High School, Stoudemire won Rookie of the Year after averaging 13.5 points and 8 rebounds a game. This will be his fifth NBA All-Star game.

Tim Duncan –Duncan was selected out of Wake Forest with the top pick in the 1997 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs. He joined David Robinson as one of the "Twin Towers" as they won the NBA championship in his second season. Duncan has won three more NBA titles with the Spurs in 2003, 2005 and 2007. He is a two-time NBA MVP and three-time NBA Finals MVP. Duncan was the MVP of the 2000 NBA All-Star Game.

Carmelo Anthony – Anthony was drafted out of Syracuse with the third overall pick in the NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets. The pick was notable because the Pistons selected Darko Milicic ahead of him. In his only year at Syracuse, he was named the Most Outstanding Player after leading them to the NCAA Championship. Anthony has been a huge part of the Nuggets’ turnaround as they advanced to the Western Conference Finals in 2009.

Western Conference reserves
Dirk Nowitzki – Nowitzki came to the Dallas Mavericks via a trade with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1998. He led the Mavs to the NBA Finals in 2006 and won the NBA MVP in 2007. The game at Cowboys Stadium will be his ninth NBA All-Star game.

Deron Williams – Before joining the Utah Jazz and helping lead the US to an Olympic gold medal, Williams attended The Colony High School. This will be his first NBA All-Star game.

Pau Gasol – Gasol is in his eighth year in the NBA. He won the Rookie of the Year while playing for the Memphis Grizzlies. In 2009, he won his first NBA title, playing with the Los Angeles Lakers. This is his third NBA All-Star selection.

Brandon Roy – Roy won the Rookie of the Year in a near-unanimous vote after the 2006-007 season. The 6-6 guard is the leader of the young Portland Trailblazers team that has been plagued by injuries all season. This will be Roy's third NBA All-Star game.

Zach Randolph – This will be the first NBA All-Star Game for the well-traveled Randolph. He began his career with Portland, where he played from 2001-06. He spent 07-08 with the New York Knicks and 08-09 with the Los Angeles Clippers. The Memphis Grizzlies acquired him for Quentin Richardson and he is having the best season of his career.

Kevin Durant – Durant was drafted out of Texas by the Seattle Supersonics, and was named Rookie of the Year after the 2008 season. Following his first year, the team relocated to Oklahoma as the Oklahoma City Thunder. This will be his first NBA All-Star game.

Chris Paul – The 2006 NBA Rookie of the Year has been the face of the New Orleans Hornets since he was drafted with the fourth overall pick out of Wake Forest. He has emerged as a true superstar, being selected to his third NBA All-Star game.

Eastern Conference starters
LeBron James – It is hard to believe, but Cleveland Cavaliers 6-8 forward LeBron James is in his sixth year in the NBA out of St. Vincent-St. Mary's High School in Akron. He has almost single handedly turned around the entire Cavaliers franchise since being the top overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. He won the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2004 and MVP in 2009. James was the NBA All-Star Game MVP in 2006 and 2008.

Kevin Garnett – Garnett was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the fifth overall pick in the 1995 draft out of Farragut Academy High School. After spending 12 long seasons in the Twin Cites, Garnett was traded to the Boston Celtics in 2007. That season, he won his first championship and the franchise's 17th. He was named the NBA All-Star Game MVP in 2003.

Dwight Howard –Howard was drafted by the Orlando Magic with the top overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft out of Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy. In the 2008-09 season, Howard led the Magic to the Eastern Conference championship, beating the defending champion Celtics and LeBron James' Cavs along the way. The Magic's ride came to an end in the NBA Finals as they fell to the Los Angeles Lakers in five games. Howard was the 2008 Slam Dunk Champion.

Allen Iverson –Iverson was selected out of Georgetown by the Philadelphia 76ers with the top pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. The four-time NBA scoring champion helped lead the Sixers to the 2001 NBA Finals, where they fell to the “Shaq & Kobe'”Los Angeles Lakers. He was the 1997 Rookie of the Year and won MVP in 2001. Iverson was the NBA All-Star Game MVP in 2001 and 2005.

Dwyane Wade – Wade was selected out of Marquette with the fifth pick in the 2003 NBA Draft by the Miami Heat. He led the Heat (with a little assistance from Shaquille O'Neal and Alonzo Mourning) to the 2006 NBA championship, averaging 34.7 points per game. Wade was named NBA Finals MVP. In 2006, he was named "Sportsman of the Year" by Sports Illustrated.

Eastern Conference reserves
Joe Johnson – This is the fourth All-Star game for the Atlanta Hawks’ 6-7 shooting guard since coming over in a sign-and-trade deal with the Phoenix Suns. He reached the 10,000-point mark on January 31, 2009.

Rajon Rondo – The Phoenix Suns drafted Rondo in the first round and subsequently traded him to the Boston Celtics. This season, he leads the Eastern Conference in steals and assists.

Derrick Rose – After being selected with the top pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls, Rose went on to win Rookie of the Year. This is his first NBA All-Star game.

Al Horford – Horford was the starting center on the 2006 and 2007 national champion Florida Gator basketball teams. He is the son of former NBA player Tito Horford. This is his first NBA All-Star Game.

Gerald Wallace – Wallace was drafted by the Sacramento Kings, where he rarely played for three years. The Charlotte Bobcats selected him in the expansion draft. He is the first Bobcat ever selected for an NBA All-Star Game.

Chris Bosh – This will be the fifth NBA All-Star game for the Dallas Lincoln product who has played his entire career with the Toronto Raptors. On January 3, he passed Vince Carter as the Raptors’ all-time leading scorer.

Paul Pierce – Pierce has played his entire career with the Boston Celtics after they drafted him in 1998. He was the 2008 NBA Finals MVP. This will be his eighth NBA All-Star Game.