Updated

The Heat's LeBron James and the Lakers' Kobe Bryant have been named the NBA Players of the Month for games played in December and January.

James led Miami to a 16-5 record during that span, matching the best start to a season in franchise history. He averaged 29.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.1 assists. James is already a three-time Eastern Conference player of the week so far this season.

Bryant averaged a league-high 30.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.4 assists while leading the Lakers to a 13-9 record. On January 1 at Denver, Bryant became the youngest player in NBA history to score 28,000 points.

Other nominees for the awards 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.