Undrafted Kai not giving up, taking Plan B

MANILA, Philippines — Dream ain’t over yet.

Though left undrafted in the 2022 NBA Rookie Draft, Kai Sotto vows to still pursue his NBA aspiration, hoping to make it any other way, sooner or later.

“I will not stop pursuing the dream of being in the NBA. This is not the end,” said the defiant Sotto on his social media account shortly after the draft exercise where he failed to hear his name called.

Paolo Banchero was the surprise top pick as the Orlando Magic confounded expectations by swooping for the towering teenager from Duke University.

Orlando’s decision to opt for Banchero wrongfooted many pundits, with Jabari Smith Jr. and Chet Holmgren expected to be vying for the No. 1 spot.

Even Banchero looked shellshocked by his selection in the immediate aftermath of NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s announcement at the Barclays Center in New York.

Though not realizing his dream to become the first full-blooded Filipino to get ever drafted, ample windows of opportunities are still on deck for Sotto to explore to still make it to the Big League down the road.

“Of course, the dream is always the NBA so I have to do whatever it takes to get better, get stronger and to improve. It’s just a speedbump,” he said in an interview with News5.

“We didn’t get to Plan A but we’ve got Plan B. This is not a signal for me to stop but to keep on going,” added Sotto, who’s officially an NBA free agent who could sign with any team from here on.

Sotto and his camp have yet to announce their next move but according to his agent, Joel Bell, he has received invites for the NBA Summer League set to fire off early next month.

A possibility to temporarily go home and rejoin Gilas Pilipinas for two major tournaments next month is also an option.

For Kai, sky’s still the limit – even if that means starting somewhere else.