Sotto hopes to represent Filipinos well as NBL stint looms
MANILA, Philippines – Kai Sotto is aware that he bears the name of Philippine basketball everywhere he goes, as he takes the NBA dreams of a hoops-crazed nation on his capable shoulders.
But before he gets to the highest level of basketball, Sotto first tests his mettle in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) where he hopes to make his countrymen proud.
The only Filipino player in the league, the basketball phenom hopes to represent his country well.
"Right now, I'm going to be playing in the NBL, and I'm the only Filipino to play here. The performance that I show [here] will reflect on the Philippines so I have to make sure that I play the right way and play my best every time I step on the court," Sotto told NBL.com.
Signing a deal with the Adelaide 36ers, Sotto will likely have a regular role in their rotation as their team doesn't have a lot of depth in their frontcourt.
Knowing what he can contribute, Sotto isn't bothering himself with trying to do too much.
Rather, he just plans to stick to his game and give what the team needs.
"I'm a rookie, so I'll start with my specialty which is defense and rim protection," he said.
While of course, the NBA dream lives on for Sotto, he is careful not to get ahead of himself.
Knowing he is fully committed to the 36ers at the moment, Sotto is zeroed in on developing as a player to help his team.
"Right now, I'm just trying to be the best player that I can be every day," he said.
"Before I sleep at night, I just make sure that I did my best to help myself and help other people get better," he added.
Sotto will first see action for the 36ers in a preseason tournament called the NBL Blitz set in Tazmania.
They begin preseason hostilities on November 14 against the Cairns Taipans.
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