Kai SOTTO

Sotto might still be just 17, but many already think he has the potential to become one of the most famous Filipino athletes of all time. Standing at seven-foot-two (2.18m), he is a basketball phenomenon with American colleges lining up to try and get him on their books. He has signed an NBA G-League contract, from where he is widely tipped to make it to the top league.

While height is an obvious starting point for basketballers, and Sotto is taller than most of them, he also possesses the skill sets necessary to achieve his hoop dreams. He has surprising mobility for a man of his size, with numerous skills in his locker: his passing, dunking, screening and decision making are all first-rate. Once he has added some muscle to his frame, it is thought he will have the assets to play center against the best in the business.

"I think I can read the situations well; I can score on every place on the court and I think I’m a really good teammate,” he said. Sotto is bidding to become the first Filipino to play in the NBA and has generated huge support for his quest back home.