Ervin Sotto arrived in Adelaide last week and watched from the sidelines for the first time this season as his son Kai and the 36ers went up against the New Zealand Breakers in the 2021-22 National Basketball league last Saturday at Adelaide Arena.
And Kai was just glad to have a semblance of home as he heads into the final stretch of the season.
“I’m happy that my dad is here. He’s always there to guide me in my basketball career, so it’s easier for me on and off the court,” the 19-year-old told Australian media.
“I’m just happy that he’s here with me and that makes me feel better, stronger, and more comfortable.”
With his father in the stands, Sotto went off to a rousing start as he notched 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field. Standing at 7-foot-3, he also set a new league record by being the tallest player ever to drain a triple in NBL history in that game.
The Ateneo High School product, however, couldn’t sustain the momentum in the second half as Adelaide absorbed a 75-84 defeat to New Zealand. Sotto ended the contest with seven rebounds in almost 20 minutes of action. With the loss, the 36ers extended their losing skid to five games as they dropped back to a 5-12 record.
After playing a tough set of games, Sotto wanted the rest of his family in Adelaide too. Still, he remains grateful that his dad will be able to watch his upcoming games.
“Having my dad is amazing. I wish I had my mom and my younger siblings here too, but I’m always thankful with what I have,” he said.
Adelaide will aim to get back in the win column when they host Cairns on March 18 at Adelaide Entertainment Centre. The 36ers won their previous match-up back on February 20. There, Sotto tallied five points, six rebounds, and three blocks in 12 minutes for an 82-71 victory.
Heading into their upcoming tilt, the Filipino import remained confident in his team’s ability to bounce back and finally put an end to their ongoing losing skid.
“I think now the team is looking better. I think we got a good momentum this week going into Cairns because of how we practiced,” Sotto said.
“We lost five in a row but we have that next game mentality so next game is very important for us. We gotta defend our home court every time we play there. Tomorrow’s game is important and we got to win.”
