NEW YORK (Reuters) - Brook Lopez has withdrawn from the United States squad for this month's world championships in Turkey after being diagnosed with mononucleosis, the common infection better known as 'kissing disease'.
USA Basketball said in a statement Wednesday that the New Jersey Nets center had declared himself unavailable for selection while he recovers from the infection.
Washington Wizards center JaVale McGee was named as his replacement in a 15-man squad that will assemble in New York next week for a training camp.
The Americans will also play a warm-up match against France at Madison Square Gardens before the squad is trimmed to 12 players for the world titles.
(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Raleigh, North Carolina. Editing by Julian Linden.)
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