Xinjiang's vetern center will skip All-Star weekend

All the stars won't be there after all.

Xinjiang Flying Tigers three-time MVP center Mengke Bateer will skip the CBA's All-Star weekend for "personal reasons", even though he was voted as a starter for the North.

As the league released its final All-Star lineup on Thursday morning, fans found Liaoning Jiebao's Han Dejun had replaced Bateer in the starting five.

Bai Xilin, director of the CBA's competition department, confirmed the former national-team member's absence.

"He said he had some family affair to take care of during the weekend and asked for two days off. We approved his request and let Han fill his void," Bai said on the league's official website.

The Flying Tigers' general manager, Guo Jian, confirmed that Bateer withdrew for family reasons, but fans theorized the team intended to rest the 37-year-old for its playoff opener against the Dongguan Leopards on Wednesday.

Steering the squad to three straight finals from 2009-2011, Bateer averaged 9 points, 7.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists this season and helped the Flying Tigers advance to the postseason without injured leading scorer Quincy Douby.

The 24-year-old Han, who averaged 12.9 points and 7.5 rebounds a game, has emerged as one of the league's budding stars.

"Han deserves to replace Bateer in that position because he has improved a lot this season and has a nice stat line as well," Bai said.

Meanwhile, the Southern Tigers' big import, former Houston Rocket Aaron Brooks, will sub into the South starting roster because J.R. Smith returned to the US on Thursday immediately after the Zhejiang Golden Bulls' season ended.

"They both play as a guard and are from the NBA. Brooks has the same strong individual performance and star power. That's why we chose him," said Bai.