IN his second shot at a long-cherished goal, big man Kai Sotto is convinced he now has what it takes.
“I feel like a better player now and I’m getting better every day,” Soto said on the Power and Play program hosted by former PBA Commissioner Noli Eala. “I’ve learned so much from my past experiences playing in all these different leagues and games.
“Now, I just have to show it with 100 percent effort every time I step on the court. These are the things that I can control and that’s what I’m deciding to focus on,” he added.
The 7-foot-3 Sotto is set to work out with the New York Knicks today until Thursday– the third time he will show his wares after also going under the microscope earlier with the Utah Jazz and Dallas Mavericks.
If and when he gets the nod from any of those three teams, Sotto will see action in the NBA Summer League from July 7 to 17 in Las Vegas.
Sotto’s agent, Tony Ronzone, said tryouts will only do wonders for the former Ateneo High School standout in his bid to become the first homegrown Filipino to gain NBA foothold.
“We’ve got (Kai’s) name out there. People were educating teams on him, that’s why he’s going to as many camps,” Ronzone said.
“They know he’s working out in LA where we’re working on his game to try and get him into better shape.”
Sotto, 21, relished his experience in those training camps.
“I think it was a good experience. Utah is a different place, it’s got a higher altitude, it was harder to breathe. There were 26 of us in the minicamp and everybody got tired early, but it was just a lot of competing, a lot of five-on-five,” he said. “They just gave us the opportunity to play. I think it’s a good experience, that’s my first time doing it.
