"Kai Sotto's Success is the Success of Philippine Basketball" - SBP

When the news first broke out that basketball prodigy, Kai Sotto, has decided to sign a deal to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA) G-League instead of playing collegiate ball in the United States, every basketball-loving Filipino rejoiced. After all, the decision did not just make Kai Sotto move closer towards realizing his dream to play in the NBA but also, it moved us closer towards seeing a pure Filipino to play in the grandest basketball league on the planet.

Many have expressed their continuous support and well-wishes to the former Ateneo Blue Eaglet who led the blue and white team to a University Athletic Association of the Philippine (UAAP) championship back in Season 80. Even Coach Jong Uichico, in a test broadcast of Pinoyliga TV last Saturday, said that "he's proud as a Filipino". And we should all be proud.

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), having witnessed the growth of Kai Sotto as a member of the Batang Gilas program, released a statement through SBP President Al Panlilio. 

Mr. Panlilio said that "The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas is one with the Filipino basketball fans in expressing their all-out support for Kai Sotto". The SBP president also noted that we, as fans and Filipinos, were given a front-row seat in the Kai Sotto show as we saw him became a towering problem not just in the UAAP but also in the international competitions that he played in with the national youth team. The SBP is also hoping that Sotto's development will continue in his upcoming coming stint in the NBA G-League not just as a future basketball titan but more importantly, as a young man.

Panlilio ended the SBP's statement by saying that "Kai Sotto will be a huge part of the future of Philippine basketball and that, his success will be the success of the country too".

Photo is from SPIN.ph