Bright future ahead for Kai
Kai Sotto is only 13 years old and has barely gotten out of elementary school but basketball talent scouts have been hovering over him, to check if he’s for real.
The 13-year-old son of former pro Ervin Sotto, who played for Alaska and two other PBA teams, is 6-foot-9. He obviously got his genes from his parents. His father is 6-7 while his mother is a 6-footer.
Recently, his photo was taken side by side with San Miguel Beer’s June Mar Fajardo the tallest player in the league today, and they looked just about the same height.
Officially, the two-time Most Valuable Player is listed 6-10. Thus, the young Kai is expected to grow over seven feet, much taller than Fajardo.
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As a boy, NBA legend Kareem Abdul Jabbar was often bullied by his schoolmates because he was too tall, thin and lanky and looked freaky for his age.
Born Lew Alcindor before he converted to Islam, Jabbar’s parents were both 6-2. Jabbar stopped growing at 7-2.
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Sotto earned his elementary diploma only some weeks ago from Saint Francis of Assisi College in Las Piñas, the same school that produced brothers Yancy and Ranidel de Ocampo.
Among the schools eyeing Sotto, Ateneo seems to have the best chance of recruiting the young cager who was MVP in the Junior NBA Philippines national training camp held last week in Makati.
According to his father, Sotto will enroll at the Ateneo High School this week because he is most impressed with the basketball and academic programs of the university.
Sotto idolizes Fajardo and New York Knicks’ Kristaps Porzingis because of their mobility and shooting skills.
Like his idols, Sotto is tall but fast and agile, and can shoot. He will also see action in the Filoil Flying V juniors tournament with the Blue Eaglets.