NEW YORK – The Miami Heat’s LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant today were named the Kia NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month, respectively, for games played in December and January.

James led Miami to a 16-5 (.762) record for games played in December and January, matching the best start to a season in franchise history, behind averages of 29.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.1 assists. A three-time Eastern Conference player of the week so far this season, James ranks second in the NBA in scoring, fourth in field goal percentage (.551), ninth in minutes (37.4 mpg) and 10^th in steals (1.8 spg). Appearing in 20 of Miami’s 21 games, James led the team in scoring 16 times, tallying 25-plus points 16 times and 30-plus points on 11 occasions.

Bryant averaged a league-high 30.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.4 assists for games played in December and January, helping the Lakers to a 13-9 record (.591).  On Jan. 1 at Denver, Bryant became the youngest player in NBA history to score 28,000 points.  On Jan. 10 in Phoenix, Bryant scored an NBA season-high 48 points, kicking off four straight 40-plus-point games over a five-night span.  Bryant passed Jerry West as the Lakers franchise leader in free throws made on Jan. 28 at Milwaukee and passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the franchise leader in field goals made on Jan. 29 at Minnesota.

Here is a closer look at the month for James and Bryant:

LeBron James, Miami Heat

Dec. 25 @ Dallas: Tallied 37 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in a 105-94 season-opening win over the Mavericks.

Jan. 4 vs. Indiana: Posted 33 points, a season-high 13 assists and eight rebounds in a 118-83 win over the Pacers.

Jan. 29 vs. Chicago: Collected 35 points, 11 rebounds and five assists during a 97-93 victory over the Bulls.

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

Jan. 3 vs. Houston: Posted 37 points, eight rebounds and six assists in a 108-99 win over the Rockets.

Jan. 10 vs. Phoenix: Tallied a season-high 48 points on 18-of-31 shooting to go with five rebounds, three assists and three steals during a 99-83 win over the Suns.

Jan. 29 @ Minnesota: Collected a 35-point, 14-rebound double-double during a 106-101 win over the Timberwolves.

Other nominees for Kia NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month were Atlanta’s Joe Johnson and Josh Smith, Chicago’s Derrick Rose, Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving, Dallas’ Shawn Marion, Houston’s Kyle Lowry, Indiana’s Roy Hibbert and Danny Granger, Memphis’ Marc Gasol, New Jersey’s Deron Williams, Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook and Portland’s LaMarcus Aldridge.

The Kia NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month are part of a series of on-court performance awards called “The Kia NBA Performance Awards.” The series, currently in its fifth season, is part of a multiyear marketing partnership between Kia Motors America and the NBA, and includes four of the league’s most prestigious year-end honors: Most Valuable Player Award, Defensive Player of the Year, Sixth Man Award, and Most Improved Player.  Kia Motors is the Official Automotive Partner of the NBA and the Kia Optima is the league’s Official Vehicle.  For more information on the “The Kia NBA Performance Awards” visit www.NBA.com/awards.