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Nazvi Careem

Filipinos are counting the years before they have a “full-blooded” NBA player after young sensation Kai Zachary Sotto announced he was pursuing a career abroad.
The country’s basketball-mad fans threw their support behind the 2.16-metre (7-foot-1) 16-year-old, who said via Instagram on Monday that he would be leaving his Ateneo Blue Eaglets high school team and looking to play in Europe. His goal is to enter the NBA draft in either 2021 or 2022.
Social media erupted with prayers and good wishes from his fellow Filipinos, with some taking a dig at Ateneo’s seniors coach Tab Baldwin – who insists Sotto should stay in the Philippines.
A handful, however, was sceptical about his move, saying Filipinos rarely succeed abroad, let alone in the NBA.












View this post on Instagram



















Maraming marami pong salamat sa suporta, sa prayers, at sa lahat lahat Sasagutin ko po Lahat ng mga tanong niyo sa Chooks-to-Go Presscon bukas ️
A post shared by Kai Zachary Sotto (Official) (@kzsotto) on Mar 24, 2019 at 9:31pm PDT



“Prayers sent for a memorable journey! Stay focused and keep working hard! Wish you nothing but the best young fella!” wrote Gabe Norwood, captain of the Gilas Pilipinas national team.
“Good luck and God bless! A true fan will understand your decision and will be happy to hear this news from you. Keep shining! We will always support you!!” wrote a fan on Instagram.

Filipino prodigy Kai Sotto is set to break big news now that the local season is over. #RealMadrid? #Barcelona?
Read more here. https://t.co/lSYsAvtgeH pic.twitter.com/WCoYcVLhmo
— Olympic Channel (@olympicchannel) March 23, 2019

Another wrote: “Much better to go than stay here and let his potential and development be stunted. Basketball programmes in other countries such as US and Europe are far superior than our non existent athletic programme here. So it’s a good decision.”
Cleveland Cavaliers’ Jordan Clarkson is the only player with Filipino roots playing in the NBA and represented Gilas Pilipinas at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.
Sotto took the MVP award after leading the Blue Eaglets to a runners-up finish in the UAAP Season 81 junior tournament. According to local media, the slender Sotto has attracted interest from clubs such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Baskonia, Alda Berlin and Movistar Estudiantes.

Kai Sotto is all set to pursue his NBA dream. pic.twitter.com/FQLE9dwv1L
— ESPN5 (@Sports5PH) March 25, 2019

The teenager kept mum about which club he would be targeting but said he wanted to make the country proud.
“I’ll be leaving soon to start training full-time,” Sotto wrote on his Instagram post. “I want to devote the next 2 to 3 years to single-mindedly focus on my goal of joining the NBA by 2021 or 2022.
“I strongly feel that leaving immediately to start training and getting the right exposure will go a long way to help me realise my dream.


“This is for my future, my family and especially for Batang [Young] Gilas, Gilas Pilipinas and for our country.”
Before Sotto’s announcement, Baldwin said the youngster needed to stay at home to develop his skills and that joining an overseas team who may rely on him to win games may affect his development.
“If he’s a pro getting over there to play, I think it’s fantastic. But he’s a kid who needs to be developed and that needs to be the emphasis. It shouldn’t be about what team he’s going to play for,” Baldwin was quoted as saying.
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“The next significant teams that he plays for should be in the NBA. And the best way for him to get there is to get himself into a development programme and not into where he has to give his skills and ability to a team.
“It should be in a situation where there are coaches devoting themselves in his development and his future. And I think we can do that here and I don’t think that can be done overseas.”
Baldwin’s comments were largely ignored on social media but one user wrote: “Reach for your dreams – don’t mind Baldwin he’s just after his selfish agenda to win in the UAAP.”












View this post on Instagram



















Maraming salamat, Star Margarine . . . https://www.facebook.com/532569412/posts/10156842740019413/
A post shared by Kai Zachary Sotto (Official) (@kzsotto) on Nov 6, 2018 at 9:42pm PST



Another said Filipinos were wasting their time chasing their dreams in the NBA.
“Nobody from the PBA gets drafted. Filipinos that invested in this sport are wasting time and money. Filipinos need to embrace a sport that actually embraces them. NOT THE NBA,” wrote AzkalBaller.


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NBA (National Basketball Association)

Filipinos dream of NBA glory for 2.16m high school star Kai Zachary Sotto after move overseas

Kai Zachary Sotto. Photo: Fiba

Sport

Basketball

Fans send prayers and good wishes as the Ateneo Blue Eaglets star looks to Europe to help him enter the NBA draft in 2021 or 2022
College coach Tab Baldwin, however, feels he should stay in the Philippines and develop his skills


Fans send prayers and good wishes as the Ateneo Blue Eaglets star looks to Europe to help him enter the NBA draft in 2021 or 2022
