By JAN CARLO ANOLIN
Kai Sotto has opted to sign with one of America’s top sports agency the Goodwin Sports Management.
The agency, led by Aaron Goodwin, once handled LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
The Goodwin Sports Management welcomed Sotto, who became the first international player to join the NBA G League, to the management firm in an announcement via Instagram on Friday.
“Not only does Kai have big time goals of becoming the Philippines’ 1st Native Born @NBA Player, he has the drive and skill to match!” the post read.
“We look forward to seeing their development and exciting play.”
Top prospect Filipino-American Jalen Green, Sotto’s future teammate in the select team based in Southern California, also signed with the Goodwin Sports Management last month.
Joining them are five-star recruits Isaiah Todd and Daishen Nix.
Among Goodwin’s blue chip talents are Portland Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard, Celtics’ Jaylen Brown and Spurs’ DeMar DeRozan.
He also managed former All-Stars like Gary Payton of the Supersonics and Shareef Abdur-Rahim, the current president of the NBA G League.
Aaron, along with his brother Eric, played a huge role in James’ endorsement deals back in 2003, with the seven-year, $90 million Nike contract as the most notable one.
The Goodwin brothers also helped in negotiating Durant’s five-year, $86 million contract signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2010.
SBP BACKS SOTTO
Meantime, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas expressed its all-out support to Sotto’s G League stint.
“The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas is one with all Filipino basketball fans in expressing our all-out support for Kai Sotto as he takes the next big step in his career,” said Al Panlilio, SBP president, in a statement.
The 18-year-old Sotto played a huge part in bagging the gold medal as part of Batang Gilas in the 2017 SEABA Under-16 Championship.
“We had a frontrow seat in seeing Kai grow through our Gilas Pilipinas Youth program and we’re hopeful that his development will continue further in the NBA G League not just as a basketball player but as a young man as well.”
Sotto also led the Philippines to a fourth place finish in the FIBA Under-16 Asian Championship in 2018.
The former Ateneo standout also suited up for the national team in the 2018 FIBA Under-17 World Cup and 2019 FIBA Under-19 World Cup and settled for 13th and 14th place respectively.
“Kai will be a huge part of the future of Philippine basketball so his success will be entirely the country’s too.”
