John Arthur Cox IV (born July 6, 1981) is a Venezuelan-American former professional basketball player. A 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) shooting guard and point guard, Cox played in several top-tier European leagues, including FranceâÂÂs LNB Pro A, GermanyâÂÂs Basketball Bundesliga, and competed in the EuroLeague. Internationally, he represented Venezuela, winning gold at the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship and playing at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Cox played college basketball for the University of San Francisco Dons from 1999 to 2005. He finished as one of the program's all-time leading scorers and helped the team reach the 2005 National Invitation Tournament (NIT).
Cox began his professional career in 2005 with ÃÂlan Chalon in France's LNB Pro A. Over the next decade, he played for multiple French clubs, including STB Le Havre, SLUC Nancy Basket, Paris-Levallois Basket, and Cholet Basket. He also had stints with Bucaneros de La Guaira in Venezuela, ÃÂlan Béarnais Pau-Orthez in France, and Medi Bayreuth in Germany.
In 2017, he signed with Pau-Orthez for the remainder of the season. He concluded his professional career with SLUC Nancy Basket during the 2018âÂÂ2019 season.
Cox represented Venezuela at several international tournaments. He played in the 2012 Olympic Qualifying Tournament, the 2015 Pan American Games, and the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship, where Venezuela won its first-ever continental title. He also competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics. In 2017, Cox was the leading scorer of the 2017 FIBA AmeriCup.
Cox was born in Caracas while his father, Chubby Cox, played professionally in Venezuela. Chubby Cox later played for the Washington Bullets in the NBA. John is also a first cousin of Kobe Bryant, the son of Chubby's sister Pam Bryant. John and Chubby are one of six father-son pairs to reach the finals of Venezuela's LPB. He is currently the Athletic Director at Germantown Academy and head coach of their varsity basketball program.