Philippine Star Kai Sotto Starts His NBA Journey Like an Asian NBA Great, But Can He End it as an NBA Great? Former NBA Champion Thinks so!

A professional basketball player from the Philippines named Kai Sotto most recently competed for the Adelaide 36ers of the Australian National Basketball League. Sotto declared for the 2022 NBA draft on April 28, 2022. Although he participated in NBA tryouts, he was not selected. Sotto, who was expecting to become the first NBA draught pick from the Philippines, is now an unrestricted free agent.

Undrafted, 20-year-old Sotto still has a chance to pursue his lifelong ambition if given the chance to compete in the NBA Summer League in July and make an impression on the coaches and scouts. Another Asian star who went undrafted in the NBA in the past was Jeremy Lin. Sotto has followed in his footsteps, not something he would have loved to.

Former Ateneo high school standout Sotto participated in a dozen pre-draft workouts with the Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls, and New York Knicks. Lin, who was undrafted in 2010 as well, eventually signed with the Golden State Warriors before exploding into the NBA scene with the New York Knicks.

Jeremy Lin backs Kai Sotto to do great in NBA

Lin, an NBA champion with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, believes that others would learn from him and Sotto that whether their names are shouted out on draught night does not always determine their careers.

“I’ve met Kai, I’ve played against Kai, I’ve played with Kai. During the G League Ignite, I spent a couple of days with them so I’m rooting for him too,” Lin told ESPN.

“At the same time, maybe I’m biased but I just don’t feel like draft night is like… (pauses) because there’s so many people that get drafted and fall out. And then there’s so many people don’t get drafted and then fall in.