Kobe Bryant has won his first MVP award after leading the Los Angeles Lakers to the best record in the Western Conference.

He will receive the trophy Wednesday night from commissioner David Stern before the Lakers face Utah in Game 2 of their conference semifinal. Bryant was followed in the voting Tuesday by Chris Paul, Kevin Garnett and LeBron James.

Bryant entered the season as the league's two-time defending scoring champion but had finished only as high as third in MVP voting. He averaged 28.3 points while playing all 82 games despite tearing a pinkie ligament in February.