Team World has taken another blow.
He will be replaced by San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox, the NBA announced moments later. Fox will join Team USA, while Miami Heat guard Norman Powell, who has ties to Jamaica, will move to Team World.
Fox will be making his second all-star appearance and first since 2023.
He is averaging 19.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.27 steals in 45 games, helping lead the Spurs to a 38-16 record and the second seed in the Western Conference ahead of Thursday’s action.
Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo will still be in L.A. as he’s set to coach in Friday’s celebrity game.
The Greek star has not played since Jan. 23, when he sustained the injury against the Denver Nuggets. He is averaging 28 points and 10 rebounds per game over 30 contests this season.
Antetokounmpo joins Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in pulling out of the All-Star Game, which will feature a U.S.-vs.-the-world format for the first time.
Steph Curry pulled out on the American side.
Brandon Ingram of the Toronto Raptors and Alperen Sengun of the Houston Rockets have already been named as injury replacements for Curry and Gilgeous-Alexander.
