De’Aaron Fox withdraws from USA Basketball’s World Cup roster

By Tim Reynolds The Associated Press

5 years ago

Team White guard Derrick White (46) dribbles the ball past Team Blue guard De'Aaron Fox (20) du ... — Team White guard Derrick White (46) dribbles the ball past Team Blue guard De’Aaron Fox (20) during the first half of the U.S. men’s basketball team’s scrimmage in Las Vegas, Friday, Aug. 9, 2019. (Erik Verduzco/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

LOS ANGELES — De’Aaron Fox of the Sacramento Kings has made the surprise decision to withdraw from USA Basketball’s national team, meaning the Americans now have 13 candidates for the 12-man World Cup roster.

Fox told USA Basketball of his choice Saturday, a few hours before the team would board a plane for Australia and final preparations for the World Cup that starts in China this month. Fox was in the team’s plans for the Australia trip, and it was believed that he would have been a very strong candidate for the World Cup squad.

Fox played a team-low six minutes in the Americans’ 90-81 win over Spain in a pre-World Cup exhibition at Anaheim, California on Friday night. After the game, he gave no indication he was thinking about leaving the team.