At the tender age of 21, Kai Sotto has already experienced what most Filipino basketball players could only dream of.
After leaving Ateneo High School, the 7-foot-3 Filipino embarked on a journey to the United States.
He attended a prep school there before receiving an invitation to be part of the inaugural batch of G League Ignite.
When things did not work out for him with Ignite, he packed his bags and headed to Australia to play for Adelaide in NBL-Australia.
During his stay in Australia, he threw his name into the NBA Draft. Unfortunately, luck was not on the side of Sotto, as he went undrafted.
That did not deter Sotto from trying to reach the NBA dream, playing for Orlando in the NBA Summer League.
When that did not work out, he signed with Hiroshima in the B.League before heading to Yokohama.
And all this only happened within five years.
With all these experiences, Sotto – despite his young age – is already seen as a veteran in this batch of Gilas.
That is why Sotto made sure that during his short stay here, he would take Kevin Quiambao under his wing.
“KQ is probably the quietest guy on the team,” said Sotto, who averaged 15.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks in Window 1. “I try to talk to him all the time, and he reached out to me.
“He told me about his plans, and I told him that I already experienced yung mga options na meron siya. I just gave him yung mga opinions ko.”
For the past two years, the 22-year-old Quiambao has been at La Salle, winning Rookie of the Year during his freshman year before reaching the top in the next year.
Coupled with his stint with Strong Group in Dubai, the versatile 6-foot-6 forward has attracted interest from all over the world.
There was an NCAA Division I school that wanted to get him as a transfer. There is also interest for him to play in Japan, the Middle East, and even the US as a pro.
If there’s one person who can relate to Quiambao’s dilemma on which path he would take, it has to be Sotto.
That is why he is making sure to guide Quiambao in whatever way he can.
“Whatever I can do to help him, I’ll be there because he is my brother. I’m excited for him, and he is pro-ready. He is a smart player; he works hard,” Sotto remarked about Quiambao, who normed 12.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in the window.
“I’m excited for his next step.”
