KAI Sotto is set for his debut with the Gilas Pilipinas men's basketball team.
"I will be joining the national team," he said in a short video shown during the Fiba Smart Global Press Conference on Thursday. "I am excited. I hope we bring our best. Sobrang special nito para sa ating lahat."
Sotto, 18, will be a big boost for the national team for the third window of the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers which the country will host with a bubble to be mounted at the Clark Freeport Zone come February next year.
The 7-foot-2 center is currently in the US playing with the NBA G League Ignite team.

Sotto's debut with the seniors team is a welcome development for Gilas, especially for Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) program director Tab Baldwin.
Yet he clarified that talks are still ongoing about Sotto's availability for the February window considering the teenager's commitments in the US.
"At this point, you've heard Kai and he said he's going to be available," he said. "Obviously this is step one. We'd like to think that we have every belief that he would be there for February, but there are still discussons ongoing."
The prodigious former Ateneo Blue Eaglet has made his mark with Batang Gilas in the international stage and Baldwin is keeping his fingers crossed the kid can play for the seniors team sooner than later.
"Everybody is hopeful. We all can't wait to welcome Kai back to the Gilas fold and take the next step forward toward 2023 with him," he said. "I'm very excited to hear that he has a passion for it as well."
Gilas currently sports a 3-0 win-loss record in Group A ahead of the third window of qualifiers in Clark, where it faces Korea twice and Indonesia.
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