Another milestone for Kaiju!
At 21 years old, being able to make a living playing the sport you love is a tremendous achievement. To do it in topnotch international leagues is even crazier, in a good way, of course. That whole thing right there is Kai Sotto’s life.
The young Filipino center currently stars for the Hiroshima Dragonflies in the Japan B.League. Just a few weeks ago, he played in the FIBA World Cup for Gilas Pilipinas. And before that, the 7-foot-3 big man suited up for the Orlando Magic in the NBA Summer League.
Recently, Sotto reached another milestone in his basketball journey when he took part in the Jr. NBA program as one of the special guests. It was a full-circle moment for Kaiju as he himself was once a Jr. NBA camper. The event took place in Hiroshima as Sotto engaged and interacted with the kids.
On Monday, Kai took to Instagram to say how much it meant to be in a position to inspire the youth. He opened up his message with an introspective question.
“Who would've thought that [a] young 12-year-old me, who was just enjoying basketball, meeting new friends, and being inspired by the Jr. NBA special guests/athletes would be the role model for these kids 9 years later?”
He then expressed his appreciation for the recognition that he was given.
“I'm very thankful to @jrnba for having me in one of your basketball events. This is where I started, and I couldn’t believe how fast time flies. Yesterday, I was this kid, now I’m the big brother they look up to,” said Sotto.
“Truly blessed to see the smiles on these young kid's faces,” he added.
At 21 years old, Sotto can still make a run or two at his NBA dream. For now, let's allow him to enjoy the rewards of the work he’s been putting in.
(GM)