As Gilas Pilipinas braces for the grueling journey toward the 2027 FIBA World Cup, the potential return of 7-foot-3 center Kai Sotto looms large — and it could not come at a more crucial time.
Sotto, who tore his ACL in January while playing for Yokohama in the B.League, has been out of action for months.
The 22-year-old big man has since returned home to the Philippines and is currently undergoing intensive rehab with hopes of rejoining the national team by the November window of the FIBA Asia Qualifiers.
“I’ll say it — with Kai, we can beat anybody. We’ve proven that,” Cone said after Ginebra’s 119-112 win over Phoenix in the 2025 PBA Philippine Cup on Friday at Philsports Arena.
Before his injury, Sotto had become an integral part of the national team’s core.
His most memorable performances include a breakout showing in the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, where he helped Gilas pull off an 89–80 upset over world No. 6 Latvia in Riga and a stunning 94–83 victory over New Zealand at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
(C) FIBA.basketball
“We’ve played the No. 6 team in the world in their house and beat them. We can beat anybody if we get Kai out there back, and we’re hoping we get Kai back at some point during that time,” he continued.
According to Cone, there’s growing optimism about Sotto’s recovery timeline.
“We’ve heard that he might be back in October or late October and that might be enough time for him to get into the first window,” Cone said.
That first window includes a tough road game against New Zealand on November 28 in Auckland, followed by a rematch in, most likely, Cebu on December 1.
Filipinos know all too well what the team looks like without Sotto, and the results haven’t been kind.
In the final window of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers, with Sotto out of the lineup, the Philippines suffered back-to-back losses: a 91–84 stunner to Chinese-Taipei in New Taipei City, and an 87–70 blowout at the hands of New Zealand in Auckland.
Both games laid bare the glaring absence of a true interior presence.
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“We’ve also proven — by losing to Taiwan — that anybody can beat us,” Cone admitted.
“That’s all about the preparation and getting together and making sure we’re as prepared as possible.”
With the road to the World Cup demanding only the top seven teams in Asia (outside of host Qatar) to qualify, every game matters.
And for Cone and Gilas, a healthy Sotto could be the difference between falling short and achieving the goal.
“Whether it’s Australia, Guam, Taiwan, or Korea — doesn’t matter. Whoever’s in front of us, we’ll take care of it,” Cone added.
#WATCH: “WITH KAI, WE CAN BEAT ANYBODY” 🏀
Gilas head coach Tim Cone isn’t worried about the “Group of Giants” in the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers — as long as they get Kai Sotto back healthy next year 🇵🇭
📹 @justinebacnis /Tiebreaker Times#LabanPilipinas #PBA2025 pic.twitter.com/LzbV589ISd
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) May 16, 2025
