Kai Sotto becomes 1st Filipino to play in the Australian pro basketball league

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

 

Filipino basketball sensation Kai Sotto is set to take Australia by storm after agreeing to a multi-year deal with the Adelaide 36ers of the professional Australian National Basketball League.

The former NBA G-League player also made history as the first-ever Filipino to participate in the Australian basketball league.

Shams Charania of The Athletic first reported the developing report about Sotto’s stint with the 36ers after revealing that the Filipino was offered a multi-year contract by the Australian team.

“Attracting a player of Kai’s potential from Asia, and more recently the United States, to Adelaide will only enhance the club’s reputation for identifying and developing elite basketball talent,” posted Adelaide on their website.

Sotto then confirmed the move after journalists from all over the US arranged an interview with Sotto in partnership with his training family East West Private.

The seven-foot-two star center will be taking the exact path that emerging NBA top rookie Lamelo Ball did.

In his interview, Sotto also explained that he will be beefing up the Gilas Pilipinas roster for the upcoming Olympic Qualifying Tournament in June and the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup.