Kai Sotto to spark rush of international prospects in NBA G League

MANILA, Philippines – Kai Sotto’s hooking up with the G League won’t only enhance the young, talented Filipino’s NBA dream but also the NBA developmental league program.

In a statement, G League president Shareef Abdur-Rahim said signing up Sotto with the Select Team is a part of the league’s continuing program to include young, promising international players.

“We’re excited to have Kai and we hope he will be an inspiration for younger players to aspire to be in the NBA,” said Abdur-Rahim.

Aware of how big basketball is in the Philippines, the top G League official also believes Sotto’s presence in the league will further boost the league’s popularity, saying: “It’s exciting for us that folks in the Philippines will follow us and follow Kai.”

The 7-2, 18-year-old former Ateneo stalwart’s G-League stint is also expected to spark the influx of international talents in the developmental league.

"We think Kai is a great first international player for our program. Hopefully, this is just the start of attracting other international players,” said Abdur-Rahim.

Sotto became the first international prospect to sign a contract with the NBAGL program when he opted to pass on college ball to join Fil-Am swingman Jalen Green and two other high school talents in Southern California team in the program aimed at providing an avenue for top prospects who chose to skip college and take a year before they enter the NBA draft.

While he admits that he still has so much to learn, Sotto said he’s willing to hone his skills and talent, joining The Skill Factory, a prep program based in Georgia, USA last year. He was eyeing to land a spot in some top colleges, including Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Auburn and USC, until Green invited him to join him in the G League.

Sotto is ranked No. 62 overall on ESPN’s 2020 rankings topped by Green.