KAI Sotto thanked the Philippine national team, while firing back at Gilas critics during their the stint in the 2023 Fiba World Cup.
Sotto shared his thoughts on playing for flag and country at the global showpiece in an Instagram post on Tuesday.
READ: COLUMN: Minus distractions, Kai Sotto proves a valuable Gilas asset
"From dreams, to reality! People who never wore this Pilipinas jersey will never understand the difficulties, pressure, and the sacrifices we made. But also can't compare to the fun and joy we experienced after it all ended. Thank you PILIPINAS," Kai said.
"What an experience for me, despite all the hate and distractions, I still got a lot of positives from all of (these)," he added.
Kai's rocky path to the world stage
The 7-foot-3 big man had a busy last few months. From his brief NBA Summer League stint marred by back issues, contract extension with Japan B.League's Hiroshima Dragonflies, and a last-gasp stalemate with Gilas before the tournament, Kai's road to the world stage was a rocky one.
But as he looks back on how his World Cup stint played out, amid all the chatter on his performance and limited minutes, Sotto shared how his younger self would've been proud of what he's already accomplished and what still lies ahead.
"I was just a young kid dreaming to play in this 2023 (World Cup) years ago, but now i am proud to say that I've been a part of it. Little Kai thought this (World Cup) would be the peak basketball that i would play in, but now after all of it, I'm confident and excited to say there's still way more to it along the way," said Sotto.
Gilas left the global showpiece in 24th place with four losses and a lone win against China.
"I hate talking about the future but this time I'm looking forward to it, Pilipinas is only gonna get better #markmywords," Kai stressed.
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