The Filipino phenom, Kai Sotto, still dreams to become the first full-blooded Filipino to play in the NBA. The 21-year-old star has reportedly been invited by at least four teams to play in the 2023 Summer League. But, one team he and his agent chose is the Orlando Magic. To know all the details of Kai Sotto’s next journey, read more below.
In the 2022 NBA draft, Kai Sotto went undrafted which broke the hearts of many Filipinos. He had many choices, but his agent chose that Kai should return to his team in Australia’s NBL, the Adelaide 36ers. But, after just a year, Sotto left the league and moved to the Japan B-League where he played for the Hiroshima Dragonflies.
Kai Sotto will be suiting up for the Magic in this year’s Summer League
The Kaiju, Kai Sotto, is set to collide with the top prospects in the 2023 NBA draft. Last Thursday, it was confirmed that Sotto has been invited to play for the Orlando Magic in the Summer League.
Kai Sotto will play for the Orlando Magic in Summer League 🔥 pic.twitter.com/6k1LNC6CxB
— Basketball Forever (@bballforever_) June 23, 2023
The 7-foot-3 big man will go up against guys like Scoot Henderson, Brandon Miller, and the Thompson twins. Unfortunately, he won’t be matching up with the French superstar, Victor Wembanyama, since it has been reported that the 2023 first-overall pick will opt out of the Summer League. Aside from all of that, Sotto’s agent Tony Ronzone (Wasserman Sports) said that Kai may be on the team, but he is not guaranteed anything.
“No guaranteed minutes, no guarantees for anything. Kai’s all fired up for this. It’s an opportunity to bring his family over (to Las Vegas) to be part of it. Orlando’s a loaded team and no game will be easy. But it’s his big break. We’ve done our part at Wasserman to get him ready. He worked out at our facility in Los Angeles (with coach Olin Simplis) and went to three NBA mini-camps in Utah, Dallas, and New York. Now, it’s up to Kai, it’s on him.” Tony Ronzone told PhilStar Global.
Orlando Magic Summer League matchups, schedules, and where to watch as Kai Sotto makes his way into the NBA
The NBA returns to Las Vegas! Summer League 2023 will take place in the Thomas and Mack Center at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. The event will run from July 7 until July 17, 2023. As reported, Kai Sotto will join the Orlando Magic for at least 5 games. Here are the Magic’s matchup and their respective schedules.
- Detroit Pistons – July 8
- Indiana Pacers – July 10
- New York Knicks – July 12
- Portland Trailblazers – July 13
If the Orlando Magic advances to the semis and the finals, below also the game’s schedules:
- Semifinals – July 16
- Finals – July 17
However, if the Magic fails to book a ticket to the final four, they will be granted an extra game on July 15.
Filipino fans can watch Kai Sotto share the court against young NBA stars via NBA TV (Philippines) available through the Smart Livestream App. To everyone else who wants to see Kai, you can stream the Summer League on the NBA App or website with the use of your NBA League Pass.
How well do you think will Kai Sotto play in the NBA Summer League? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below. For more content, stay with us here at Spiel Times. Make sure you subscribe to our push notifications and never miss an update. You can also follow us on Spiel Anime, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Until next time!
