"Give It Time" Japeth Aguilar to Kai Sotto

Kai Sotto's impending entrance into the National Basketball Association (NBA) G-League has been one of the topics of discussions in the local scene as it moves the Philippines another step closer towards seeing a Filipino play in the NBA. What makes Sotto's upcoming stint with the G-League Select Team is that he will be playing alongside another Filipino-American basketball prodigy in Jalen Green. As excited as this stint for Kai Sotto, the road he is about to take will be different for an 18-year old prodigy. That is according to someone who has already been there: Japeth Aguilar.

Last Wednesday night, Aclan Sports Skills Factory just aired the 16th episode, titled "Basketball and Quarantine with Japeth" with sportscaster Migs Bustos and former De La Salle Green Archer Ren Ren Ritualo with guest Japeth Aguilar of the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings in the Philippine Basketball Association. (PBA). Kai Sotto's path in the NBA G-League is a topic that was heavily discussed as Aguilar, back in 2012 when he became the first Filipino player to receive an invitation to work out with an NBA team which led him to be drafted by the Santa Cruz Warriors in the 2012 NBA D-League Draft as the 109th pick overall.

Back then, it was the closest a Filipino player has gotten to in terms of making it to the NBA as Aguilar shared that being drafted in the D-League meant that a player can now be called by an NBA team in which a D-League team is affiliated with. During Japeth's time, there were no other Asian players during his stint in the D-League.

When asked what advice he can give for Kai Sotto, Japaeth Aguilar’s advice to the former Ateneo Blue Eaglet: "Try to absorb everything that he can learn and that, since there will be an adjusting period, just keep going (with the work) and give it time.”

While he lauded Kai Sotto as a young player who is already skilled and plays like a professional, Japeth Aguilar pointed out that the level of competition that Sotto will be playing in is different but that's also good for the former Batang Gilas star player as it will, help him hone his skills. Aguilar added that joining the G-League Select team will benefit Sotto’s career. “G-League Select program is good because it can be considered as a professional level (of basketball)”

Take it from someone who's been there and done that.

Screenshot is from the Facebook page of Aclan Sports Skills Factor