Turn Dreams into Reality: Kai Sotto’s ongoing journey towards NBA

“Don’t downgrade your dream just to fit your reality. Upgrade your conviction to match your destiny,” a quotation by Stuart Scott.

A 19-year-old rising basketball idol, Kai Zachary Sotto, was believed to be the first homegrown Filipino to play in the NBA.

Besides his height, in which he is standing 7 feet and 3 inches tall, he also came from a family of basketball players. It was believed that at the age of 4, he is already playing basketball, though it is not a surprise for his father; Ervin Sotto was a former professional player of the different basketball team in the country. But what surprises them is how his skills and height hone in a short period.

It was September 2018 when rumors are spreading that European clubs were scouting Sotto to sign with them. It was said that Real Madrid, a Spanish premier division club, was pursuing Sotto for three months, and they even offered a 1 Million $ in a five-year contract. It was also stated that three other more Spanish teams were trying to sign with Sotto, namely, Barcelona, Baskonia, and Estudiantes. At the same time, Alba Berlin from Germany also showed their interest in signing with him. Meanwhile, he kept silent and continued focusing on the UAAP high school wars where he campaigned for Ateneo.

His name’s uproar became possible when he played for the country at the FIBA U17 World Cup in Argentina last July 2018. He was able to have a total average point of 16.4, 10.6 rebounds, and 28.9 minutes of playing per game in seven games, in which he was able to hit from the field a 47.2 percent score and 67.4 percent from the line.

Months have passed, Sotto played for Ateneo in the UAAP Season 81 Juniors’ Basketball last February 2019, in which he became the MVP during that season. After a month, Sotto finally announced his decision to leave the country to pursue his dream of becoming the first homegrown Filipino drafted in the NBA. He states that even he is pursuing his NBA dream, Sotto will still be committed to Gilas Pilipinas. During a press conference, he says that he chooses to set aside the offers he got from European teams and train in the United States.

Sotto joined and was guided by East West private upon his arrival in Atlanta, and then he signed with The Skill Factory, an Atlanta-based organization. At that time, he also paid unofficial visits to NCAA Division I schools. He became the NBA G League Ignite’s first international prospect to sign a deal with them. NBA G League Ignite is known to be introduced by NBA as the new professional pathway in catering recruitments to some top high schools.

In September 2020, the training to the selected team began in Walnut Creek, California. Sotto met Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Isaiah Todd, Daishen Nix, and Indian center Princepal Singh, who are his future teammates. It was said that for the upcoming season during this time, there will be a developmental league bubble where they were set to play.

Last December 2020, Kaiju Academy at Spooky Nook Sports Champion Mill Complex in Hamilton, Ohio, was reported to be Sotto’s own sport’s academy open in late 2021. According to some reports, he said that his dream come true to mentor young athletes globally and that he wants his brand and his academy to be about resilience. He also had his first reps with the select team where they were figuring the pairs to be part of the unofficial game against a team of G League veterans.

Earlier this year, 2021, everyone was shocked by Sotto’s announcement that he will play for Gilas, and because of that, he misses the Ignites’ first playdates. The NBA approved his decision to leave for the Philippines. This is which was confirmed by his handlers at East West Private. Clark should be hosting a bubble where rousing senior’s debut at home for Sotto, but it was canceled due to the restrictions. Luckily, few days after the announcement, Doha, Qatar, was said to be the one to host the bubble.

In February this year, he underwent a five-day quarantine before he went to Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, where the Gilas Pilipinas poll training camp was held. Meanwhile, the supposed bubble hosting of Doha, Qatar, was canceled due to the rapid spread of the new COVID-19 stain in Doha. Due to the cancelation, the hosting was re-awarded to Clark. Still, there was no exact date yet which concludes the federation to hold off his senior’s debut for Gilas and allow Sotto to return to the US and was pleading to rejoin Ignite, where during that point, score in Orlando was already 4-0.

A statement was released by the NBA G League where Sotto and Ignite will be going in different ways. “Kai and the team both understood the challenges for him to rejoin Ignite given the current international travel constraints, quarantine times, and health and safety protocols. Kai will always be part of the extended Ignite family, and we wish him continued success as he pursues his NBA dreams,” stated NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim.

As many people have expected that Kai will be eligible for this coming 2021 NBA draft, this excitement will be postponed due to the NBA rule requiring players to be one year removed from high school. With that news, Kai Sotto’s team came up with the decision to make him professional by joining the NBL. NBL is a professional league in Australia and is currently running their season. He signed a multi-year contract with Adelaide 36ers and will play with the team next season of the said league. The team owner already said that he will always allow Kai Sotto to commit to his National team Gilas even with the contract. Experts say this is an excellent move for the young prospect because the league is one of the best around the world, where the young star LaMelo Ball played with who is now in the NBA and already leaving a mark.

As he chases his dream to become an NBA Player, many Filipinos are already rooting for him to be the first Filipino homegrown to play in the NBA. So far, Kai Sotto’s journey proves that we should all dream as high as we can, but it shouldn’t stop there. We should also put effort, dedication, and continue honing our skills and strengthening our passion. It is inspiring that he already knows what he wants in life at an early age and makes ways to make it possible with his family’s support.

In line with this, setbacks in life should not hinder you from pursuing your dreams because as you face these challenges, it will teach you a lesson, make you better and more robust to reach these dreams you’ve been chasing.