By JONAS TERRADO
Trying to become the first homegrown Filipino player to play in the NBA has become like a modest goal for Kai Sotto as he began training for the NBA G-League Select Team on Wednesday.
Asked by former PBA Commissioner Noli Eala on his radio program over the weekend of what he hopes to be in five years time, Sotto said he hopes to be not just an NBA All-Star but also the best in the Asian region.
“I imagine myself being part of a great organization, great team and I envision myself to be an All-Star,” Sotto said in Eala’s program Power and Play on 92.3 News FM.
“I’ll do everything I can to be an All-Star, to prove that I am a great player and represent Asia five years from now. I want to be the best in Asia also, being a Filipino and represent the Philippines five years from now. That’s the dream that I have,” he added.
The 7-foot-2 native of Las Pinas City and former Ateneo high school acknowledged that the NBA dream is not for him alone, knowing that Filipinos back home are rooting for him to succeed.
“Everyday, I wake up and always see people messaging me ‘Good luck Kai, we’re supporting you’, ‘Good luck on your NBA dream.’ Today, I just think of it as a dream of a lot of people,” he said.
“That’s just a huge thing for a basketball player to have. I’m just focusing on myself, my improvement every single day. I just try my best to be where I want to be in the future,” Sotto added.
Sotto and the rest of the G-League team that includes Fil-American sensation Jalen Green began training at Walnut Creek in California.
Former NBA player and coach Brian Shaw will use the camp to hone the skills of the squad composed of former high school stars and international prospects.
