Kai Sotto is relishing the opportunity to pick the brains of Tim Cone now that he finds himself playing for the decorated mentor once more in Gilas Pilipinas.
The two have previously worked with one another in the men’s team when the 65-year-old served as an assistant to Chot Reyes.
However, it will be their first rodeo together since the former’s appointment as the program’s head coach.
“Sobrang dami ko natututunan kay Coach Tim,” the 21-year-old said in a presser hosted by the SBP at the Philsports Arena, Monday.
Sotto has earlier expressed excitement at playing for Cone and it should no longer come as a surprise. He’s heard stories about the PBA’s most successful bench tactician since he was younger through his dad, Ervin.
The elder Sotto played for Cone in the now-defunct Alaska from 2008 to 2012. They won the 2010 Fiesta Conference championship together.
“Kahit dati pa yung dad ko naging player ni Coach Tim, ang dami niyang istorya. Really good stories about Coach Tim,” said the B.League import.
Now Cone will be coaching another generation of Sotto, and the latter believes that it would benefit him and the young Gilas guys.
“Ako, na-witness ko siya ng player na ako under him. Sobrang dami kong natututunan and I think lahat kami, sa short period of time ang dami kong natututunan and marami kaming iaapply pagdating sa games,” he said.
Helping spur his growth under Cone’s tutelage is the bigger responsibility he’ll have to take for the Nationals in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers’ opening window set later this week due to the team’s personnel problems.
The team is without June Mar Fajardo and AJ Edu due to injuries but Sotto said that he and the remaining men are ready to step up to the plate.
“We’re missing two key players so the rest will have to step up. And everybody’s ready to step up dito sa parating na window kaya I’m confident sa team namin.”
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