The Jazz's Karl Malone will not play in today's NBA All-Star Game in Philadelphia, choosing to spend time with his mother.
 
Shirley Turner, who lives in Malone's hometown of Summerfield, La., has been ill for several weeks with an undisclosed ailment.
 
Malone will not be replaced on the Western Conference roster. It is not known whether he will rejoin the Jazz when they resume the regular season at Indiana on Tuesday night.
 
As of Tuesday night, when the Jazz suffered an 86-79 loss at Memphis in their final game before the break, Malone planned to play in the All-Star Game.
 
He spent Wednesday and Thursday with his family in Louisiana and returned to Salt Lake City on Friday afternoon to participate in the Olympic torch relay. He was expected to fly to Philadelphia after the relay but did not go, because his mother had been admitted to a Salt Lake City hospital.
 
"Obviously, everybody with the Jazz . . . supports Karl," said vice president of basketball operations Kevin O'Connor. "Family comes first. That's where Karl belongs."
 
Malone joins Shaquille O'Neal and Vince Carter as players who were selected to play in the All-Star Game but won't. O'Neal and Carter will miss the game because of injuries.