KAI Sotto is nearing his on court return as he was front and center in the Koshigaya Alphas' ‘tip-off event’ for the coming Japan B.League 2025-26 season.
He's also done some non-contact training with the team, a good sign of his progress following his ACL injury.
Sotto suffered a ruptured ACL last January, missing the rest of the season for the Alphas and several crucial Gilas games including the entirety of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup where he was the glaring missing piece in Gilas’ campaign which ended in the quarterfinals.
READ: Cone reluctant on roster changes, says Kai 'a big missing piece'
Now, the young big man is back wearing his Alphas jersey as they’re welcomed by their hometown fans with renewed hope after finishing the B.League season with a 19-41 record last year – as Sotto missed the final three months of the regular season with the injury.
He was averaging nearly 14 points, 9.5 rebounds, two assists and 1.2 blocks in nearly 28 minutes of action for Koshigaya before being shelved.
In a video interview posted by the Alphas last week, Sotto fanned the excitement with a brief message.
“I’m back in Japan, I can’t wait to see the fans of Koshigaya Alphas,” he said. “I’m going to continue doing my rehab and hopefully when I get ready, I’ll be back on the court with y’all, see you guys soon.”
Gilas fans can't wait
But while fans in Koshigaya are excited, the biggest winners in Sotto's return will be the basketball-crazy Filipino fans all over the world.
Sotto’s return gives Gilas their biggest threat down low as before the injury, the 7-foot-3 center was the centerpiece of Tim Cone’s triangle offense.
Sotto’s length, alongside his ability to make good passes off the post, put the ball on the floor or hit open jumpers makes him the perfect catalyst to the triangle.
He starred in Gilas’ upset of world No. 6 Latvia, where he finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and a block. In the four games he played in the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers, Sotto posted averages of 15.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists in four games.
His return makes Gilas one of the tallest squads in Asia, as he reunites with frontline partner AJ Edu while possibly having 6’10 banger Quentin Millora-Brown as his primary back-up after the Fil-American center was reclassified as a local just last week.
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