James Yap gets most fan votes to PBA All-Star game

MANILA, Philippines - Purefoods superstar James Yap got the most number of votes among players chosen by fans to suit up for the PBA All-Star game. Yap, more popularly known outside the court as the husband of Kris Aquino, got a total of 50,763 votes during the selection process which started last February 1 and ended last April 6, according to a PBA statement released on Wednesday. The Purefoods guard, who hails from Escalante, Negros Occidental, will start for the South All-Stars. This will be the fifth straight time that Yap will start in the All-Stars since joining the PBA in 2004. Yap is the only player who got more than 50,000 votes from actual voting done at game venues and in the league's official website, www.pba.com.ph. Following Yap is Sta. Lucia's Kelly Williams, the leading contender for this season's Most Valuable Player award, who amassed 38,832 votes. Williams will join Magnolia Beverage Masters' Danny Seigle (38,448) in the front court rotation of the South Stars. Completing the starting line up for the South team are Coca-Cola big man Asi Taulava (36,312) and Jimmy Alapag of Talk `N Text (22,752). Leading the fan votes to head the North All-stars is Magnolia forward Mark Pingris with his total of 35,578 votes. Pingris, husband of actress Danica Sotto, will be playing in the North team with Purefoods slotman Kerby Raymundo (32,274) and another Magnolia player in Lordy Tugade (19,374). Tugade will be playing for the first time as a starter and earned the spot vacated by Purefoods' Romel Adducul, who got 21,903 votes. Adducul will not be able to play as he is undergoing treatment for cancer. Actually, Tugade finished fourth behind Adducul in the balloting. The North All-Star's back court will be manned by Barangay Ginebra pair of Mark Caguioa (29,775) and Jayjay Helterbrand (26,244). The 10 PBA coaches will fill in the remaining spots before the All-Star weekend in Bacolod on April 24-27. A coach can only vote for players outside his team. Last year, Helterbrand and Alaska's Willie Miller shared the MVP award. The North All-Stars won the match last year, 145-142. - GMANews.TV