Kai Sotto "Staying patient and keeping the faith" on path to NBA dream
Undrafted by the NBA, the Filipino basketball hope is raising his game in Australia's NBL at the Adelaide 36ers to keep his North American league hopes alive.
Basketball
Kai Sotto fired off a warning shot to the NBA just months after he went undrafted.
Back in the USA with his team the Adelaide 36ers, who play in Australia and New Zealand's National Basketball League (NBL), 2.18m tall Sotto helped the Sixers to a huge 134-124 preseason tune-up victory over the Phoenix Suns.
The NBA outfit boast the talents of Devin Booker and Chris Paul and it was the first time a visiting non-NBA team won a preseason game since Fenerbahce beat the Brooklyn Nets in October 2015.
Sotto stacked up 11 points in 18 minutes, adding two rebounds, two steals, and one assist to his overall tally.
The basketball-crazy Philippines has never had a homegrown player make it to the NBA, and Sotto is the country's big hope. This victory was as close anyone's got so far.
After a disappointing summer where he was not picked up in the NBA draft, a new season awaits in Australia as the big man aims to raise his game for another shot at the big league.
"Staying patient and keeping the faith; it'll all be worth it in God's timing," Sotto posted on his Instagram account from the OKC Thunder NBA stadium after the 36ers U.S. tour.
OKC Thunder wreak NBA revenge, hold Sotto scoreless
The 36ers' second NBA v NBL game didn't go quite as well as the first, as the Thunder were on alert after seeing what the Australian team had done to the Suns.
OKC rolled Adelaide by 131-98 as Tre Mann (26 points) and Lindy Waters III (23) took control.
Sotto was held scoreless but did contribute four rebounds in nine minutes of play.
Now it's back to Australia, where the 36ers face two games in three days against the Tasmania JackJumpers and the Illawarra Hawks.
Still only 20 years old, Kai Sotto will be aiming at playing a bigger role in this his second season for the 36ers who have proved their championship credentials with that win over the Suns.
The Filipino baller showed flashes of what he can do last season - like the 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist in 21 minutes he clocked when the Sixers stunned the reigning champions Melbourne United in January 2022.
He was chosen as Fans MVP for 2022.
Becoming physically stronger, technically better, and mentally more mature all the time, Sotto has the size to dominate and getting more game time will raise his level even further and help with consistency.
“Super valuable” experience says coach
After that dream win against the Suns, and despite the loss to OKC, 36ers coach CJ Bruton was overwhelmingly positive about the two-game NBA x NBL experience.
“For our players to compete against the elite and showcase our talent and see the talent that’s around the world – this is the best league in the world,” Coach Bruton told the Sixers media team.
“To be able to compete against them and see where they sit, how much they need to work on.
“It’s a dream come true for a lot of our guys, they probably only got to play against them on 2K."
Coach was proud of the way his team kept playing despite the rout against OKC.
“We took a punch today, but I liked how we kept fighting,” he said.
“I like the talent in our competition as I do in the NBA."
For Kai Sotto it was a lesson on the level you have to be at consistently to make it in the NBA.
"The dream is the NBA... It's just a speedbump" - Kai Sotto
The great Filipino hope joined the NBA draft this year and worked out with a number of teams before eventually going undrafted at the end of June.
Disappointed but more determined than ever, Sotto told PlayitRightTV that the knockback was "just a speedbump," and the dream is still alive.
"The dream is always the NBA, so I always have to do whatever it takes to get better, and get stronger and to improve," he said.
"My development is always No.1 priority, I'm only 20 years old so I still have a lot of room to grow to develop and improve. So this next step really have to think about it with my family," he said.
"We didn't get to plan A, but we got Plan B and yeah and it's not going to stop me to keep on going."
The decision to go back to Australia looks like a good one when you see the experience he's now got under his belt against two NBA teams and the quality of the players around him in Adelaide.
With strong family support and dad Ervin a constant in his corner, Kai Sotto has his feet on the ground and millions of people across the Philippines rooting for him.
Bring on the NBL.