Vets Round Out All-Star Teams Jazz Combination Of Stockton, Malone, Picked For Eighth Time

Leading a cadre of veterans who are schooling many of the league’s young stars these days, Patrick Ewing of the Knicks was named to his 10th All-Star game on Tuesday.

Ewing, John Stockton and Karl Malone of Utah and David Robinson of San Antonio were among the 14 players announced Tuesday as reserves voted by NBA head coaches. The game is Feb. 11 in San Antonio.

Ewing, the Knicks’ center, joins the perennial All-Stars Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler and Charles Barkley, who were named to the starting teams by fan voting. All five players have managed to thrive in both the 1980s and 1990s.

“A lot of great players in this crop,” Ewing said after the Knicks’ practice Tuesday. “Just plugging away. You’re never dead till they start shoveling that dirt on you. There’s still a lot of life in us.”

Ewing, who is 33, has showed a lot of life lately, scoring 100 points in his last three games. Tuesday, he joked that he might play until he was 40. He then amended that to say he plans to play another five years if he remains healthy. His current contract expires after next season.

“It feels good to know the coaches feel I’m worthy enough to be on the team again,” he said. “I’m just going to go out there and try and enjoy myself and see if the East can win this time.”

The Jazz combination of the forward Malone and point guard Stockton was selected for the eighth time for the West and Robinson, of the host Spurs, was chosen for the seventh time.

The other West reserves are Sacramento guard Mitch Richmond - who is the lone representative of California’s four NBA teams Seattle guard Gary Payton, Denver center Dikembe Mutombo and San Antonio forward Sean Elliott.

Joining Ewing as reserves on the East team will be Cleveland’s Terrell Brandon and Indiana’s Reggie Miller at guard, Miami’s Alonzo Mourning at center, and Milwaukee’s Vin Baker, Charlotte’s Glen Rice and Washington’s Juwan Howard at forward.

Besides Jordan. the starters for the East will be center Shaquille O’Neal of Orlando, forwards Grant Hill of Detroit and Scottie Pippen of Chicago, and guard Anfernee Hardway of Orlando.

The West starters besides Olajuwon of Houston at center, Drexler of Houston at guard and Barkley of Phoenix at forward will be Shawn Kemp of Seattle at forward and Jason Kidd of Dallas at guard.