AFTER two years Down Under, Filipino center Kai Sotto is moving to the Land of the Rising Sun.
Sotto announced last Sunday night that he has parted ways with Adelaide in the National Basketball League of Australia and has accepted an overseas deal, reportedly with Hiroshima in the Japan B. League.
“A new opportunity for me is really good and another opportunity for me to play basketball, I’m excited,” Sotto told Adelaide36ers.com. “I didn’t want to spend a lot of time not playing, I’m lucky I’ve been offered this deal.
“Every season here I’ve gotten better, and I’ll just keep on going from there,” he added.
The 7-foot-3 Sotto played 50 games in the Aussie pro league and was good for 7.1 points and 4.5 rebounds for the 36ers of coach CJ Bruton.
“It’s all about taking the next step for Kai and he will continue to grow as a basketballer,” Bruton said.
Sotto, who is expected to join the next NBA Summer League in his bid to become the first homegrown Filipino to suit up in the NBA, thanked Adelaide for his stint with the team.
“I am so grateful for the two unforgettable years in the city of Adelaide! It had its ups and downs, but I’m sure the 36ers community will always be part of my life and I’ll miss this place. I appreciate all my brothers that I got to share the court with,” Sotto said. “Thank you, Adelaide!”
The Dragonflies are sporting a 27-9 mark this season.
Hiroshima initially signed Justine Baltazar to be its Asian Quota Player but the former La Salle standout saw limited action in two months before he was released by the Dragonflies.
Sotto, 20, went undrafted in the last NBA rookie draft last year in Brooklyn where he had workouts with the New York Knicks and the Sacramento Kings, among other NBA squads.
Sotto graduated from high school at Miami School in Hamilton, Ohio two years ago.
A former UAAP juniors’ MVP with Ateneo High School and a former Gilas Youth mainstay now proving his worth with the seniors squad, Sotto left the country in 2019 to train at the Atlanta-based The Skills Factory.
