KAI SOTTO will make an impact—and add excitement—to the national men’s basketball team.
Also, a naturalized player who’s not a natural 4 or 5—big forward or center—but a guard who stretches to the small forward position will provide a new blend in Gilas Pilipinas’s game.
“Kai Sotto will give the team a great impact because that’s really his goal to play for the national team even when he’s in the youth team,” said the now retired Ranidel De Ocampo, the 7-foot-2 Sotto’s godfather or ninong.
“Now, we have a local tall player who has great perimeter and post skills, he’s also an agile athlete,” he said. “He also spends a lot of time in workouts.”
On naturalized player Jordan Clarkson, who made his mark in the National Basketball Association after he was named Sixth Man of the Year in the 2020-2021 season with the Utah Jazz, De Ocampo said his addition would definitely perk up the Gilas chemistry.
“This is the first time that our naturalized player is a guard-forward and not a big man,”said De Ocampo, now one of head coach Chot Reyes assistants TNT Tropang Giga.
Sotto, who’s definitely arriving on Monday from Australia, according to De Ocampo, and Clarkson are in the pool preparing for two games in the fourth window of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) World Cup Asia Qualifiers on August 25 and 29.
Gilas travels to Beirut to play Lebanon on August 25 and faces Saudi Arabia in a home game on August 29 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
“Although I haven’t seen him for the longest time, I am pretty sure Kai will be a great impact for the Philippine time. It’s an exciting time.”
Image credits: Instagram/Facebook account of Kai Sotto