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Kai Sotto Biography, Height, Age Basket Ball Player

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Kai Sotto, a 7-foot-2 basketballer from the Philippines, has signed a contract with the Australian Basketball League

Kai Sotto’s original aim was to play in the NBA G League this season before entering the NBA Draft this summer.

However, plans alter, and the 7-foot-2 Sotto will now play in the Australian National Basketball League in 2021-22 in preparation for the 2022 Draft.

Sotto, who will turn 19 next month, has signed with the Adelaide 36ers of the Australian League for the 2021-2022 National Basketball League season.

He’ll try to follow in the footsteps of Americans LaMelo Ball and R.J. Hampton, who each played one season in the league before being drafted in the first round in 2020.

After a year in the league, Ball was the No. 3 overall pick, while Hampton was the No. 24 pick.

In a statement, Adelaide 36ers Chairman Grant Kelley said, “We are happy to welcome Kai, both to the Club and to the City of Adelaide.”

“Bringing a player of Kai’s calibre from Asia, and more recently the United States, to Adelaide will only add to the Club’s reputation for spotting and nurturing top basketball talent.”

“Kai is a young, growing talent, and we are thrilled that he has chosen to sign with the 36ers,” said Adelaide 36ers General Manager of Basketball Jeff Van Groningen.

“He understands that he has a lot of work ahead of him, as do all rookies in this tough league, but his height and developing skill set allow him every chance to improve his game.

His potential for growth is very strong if he works hard.”

Sotto, along with predicted lottery picks Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga, trained with the G League Ignite club in Walnut Creek, Calif., this season.

Sotto opted out of the NBA G League bubble in Orlando in January to return to the Philippines and play with the Philippine National Team in Olympic qualifying, but those games were cancelled, and there was speculation that Sotto may still play with the Ignite in the bubble.

He didn’t, and the Ignite fell in the G League playoffs to the Raptors 905.

Sotto will now travel to Adelaide in the hopes of being the first Filipino player to be picked by the NBA.

He’s currently in Florida working out with professional athletes and strength and conditioning coaches.

“We are overjoyed to have Kai join the Adelaide 36ers in the NBL.

He has tremendous potential, and we look forward to assisting him in becoming the best version of himself,” stated NBL Commissioner Jeremy Loeliger.

“There is a lot of intriguing talent coming out of Asia, which represents the game’s continuous expansion in the region, and the NBL is well positioned to capitalise on that growth, as we’ve seen this season with players like Yudai Baba at Melbourne United.

“The NBL is one of the top leagues in the world, and it’s a fantastic place for guys like Kai Sotto to develop their game by playing among seasoned professional players in a highly competitive league.”