Zhang wants to repay his fans

BEIJING - Xinjiang Flying Tigers' Zhang Qingpeng sees the All-Star Weekend as the perfect stage to pay back his hometown fans.

Although Zhang's performance declined sharply after transferring to the Flying Tigers from Liaoning Panpan last November, he still finished as this year's all-star ballot's runner-up, winning 199,924 votes - only behind veteran Wang Zhizhi, and set the pace for the North team.

The Liaoning native said the support of his home province fans, who bonded with him since his debut in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) in 2001, led to his high vote total and has provided him with special motivation this weekend.