I still remember the first time I watched Kai Sotto play - this lanky 7'2" Filipino teenager moving with the grace of a guard while towering over everyone else on the court. As someone who's followed international basketball prospects for over a decade, I immediately recognized we were witnessing something special. His journey toward the 2020 NBA Draft became one of the most compelling stories in basketball, though it didn't follow the conventional path most top prospects take.
What struck me most about Sotto's approach was how it reminded me of that wisdom from volleyball - focusing on working with the pieces you have rather than searching for those who aren't there with you. While other prospects were scrambling to find the perfect training situation or making excuses about limited resources, Sotto and his team built his development around what they actually had access to. He didn't have the luxury of American high school basketball exposure like many top prospects, having developed primarily in the Philippines before his stint in the NBA G League Ignite program. Yet he maximized every opportunity, showing remarkable improvement in his mobility and skill set year after year. I've always believed that adaptability separates good prospects from great ones, and Sotto demonstrated this in spades.
The numbers tell part of the story - his growth from 6'6" at age 13 to his current height of 7'2" is almost unprecedented, and his wingspan stretching to 7'5" gives him the physical tools that make NBA scouts drool. But what the measurements don't capture is his basketball IQ and the way he sees the game. Having watched dozens of his games, I can tell you his passing vision for a big man is exceptional. He averaged 12.4 points and 8.8 rebounds in his final professional games before declaring for the draft, but statistics alone don't capture his impact on both ends of the floor.
His decision to join the G League pathway rather than the traditional college route was controversial at the time, but I've always admired players who carve their own path. The Ignite program gave him professional coaching and competition against grown men rather than college kids, which I think accelerated his development in ways college basketball couldn't have. He put up 10.8 points and 7.9 rebounds against professional competition at just 18 years old - numbers that don't jump off the page until you consider the context.
The draft process itself was unconventional, with COVID-19 disrupting workouts and combine opportunities. Many prospects struggled with the uncertainty, but Sotto's team maintained that focus on controlling what they could control. They created their own training bubble in the Philippines when international travel restrictions hit, turning limitation into opportunity. This approach reminds me so much of that volleyball philosophy - working with available pieces rather than lamenting absent ones.
Looking back, Sotto's journey taught me valuable lessons about player development that extend beyond basketball. His path wasn't linear, and he faced more obstacles than most prospects - from cultural adjustments to unprecedented global circumstances. Yet his commitment to incremental improvement and making the most of his unique circumstances is what makes his story compelling regardless of draft outcome. The NBA dream remains alive, but what's already undeniable is that he's inspired an entire nation and proven that unconventional paths can lead to remarkable destinations.