Kobe Bryant takes big lead in All-Star voting

— -- After the first returns of 2016 NBA All-Star voting, Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant is leading the pack by a wide margin.

Bryant already has 719,235 votes -- well ahead of Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry (510,202), the next-highest vote-getter, and more than twice as many as Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James (357,937). Bryant has more votes than James and Kevin Durant combined.

The 2016 NBA All-Star Game, to be held in Toronto, would be Bryant's last, as he has announced his plans to retire after this season, his 20th in the NBA. His 17 All-Star selections are second all-time behind former Lakers star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who had 19. Bryant, 37, is the leading scorer in NBA All-Star history (280 points).

This year marks the first time that the 6-foot-6 Bryant is being listed as a member of the frontcourt in All-Star voting. In previous years, he has been listed as a guard. The second-highest vote-getter among Western Conference frontcourt players is Oklahoma City's Durant (349,473).

Bryant is averaging 17.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 30.7 minutes per game this season.