FOR now, Kai Sotto’s sights are trained on his coming stint with Hiroshima in the Japan B. League.
The prized 7-foot-3 center arrived in the Land of the Rising Sun last Tuesday, raring to prove his worth in his bid– no matter how bumpy it has become– to be the first homegrown Filipino to gain foothold in the NBA.
“Just got to Hiroshima,” Sotto said in a short video posted by the team. “Can’t wait to meet and see everybody and can’t wait to play for this team and for this city.”
Sotto’s arrival in Japan officially quashed hopes of him suiting up for Gilas Pilipinas in the sixth and final window of the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers on Friday against Lebanon and Jordan three days later at the 55,00-seat Philippine Arena in Bocaue.
Sotto played 50 games for Adelaide in the National Basketball League of Australia and was good for 7.1 points and 4.5 rebounds for the 36ers of coach CJ Bruton.
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.
