EVERY time Kai Sotto becomes a bit nervous about the slow progress of his continuing rehabilitation from an ACL injury, his Gilas Pilipinas teammate AJ Edu's advice has been reassuring.
For Sotto, there are many moments in the the last several months since his injury that he had to grapple with uncertainty and anxiety - something which Edu assures is normal since an ACL injury takes time to heal completely.
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The 7-foot-3 center suffered the injury early this year while playing for the Koshigaya Alphas in the Japan B. League and has been sidelined since. It is expected that he will enjoy full recovery. But before that, the road is filled with doubts.
Thankfully, there is Edu to remind him that what he is experiencing, such as the pain that continues to manifest itself on his injured knee, is normal.
Edu's word are comforting. After all, the 6-10 center, Sotto's buddy and frontcourt partner since their Batang Gilas days, knows where he speaks from. Edu has had an ACL injury not once, but twice, and he has made a comeback from the twin calamities.
And so, Sotto is relieved.
“Hindi na siguro mawawala yun (pain). Kahit si AJ ang tanungin mo. Matagal na siyang naka-recover. Siya yung pinaka-kausap ko palagi kapag medyo nag-aalanganin ako kung normal ba itong sakit. Ime-message ko siya palagi,” Sotto said.
The 25-year-old Edu, recently married and who will soon join Gilas in training camp for its FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers campaign, had one injury suffered during his stint with the Batang Gilas in 2019.
Edu told Sotto one cannot be totally pain free from an ACL injury.
“Sabi niya hindi basta-basta mawawala yung pain. Kahit naglalaro na siya after niya ma-ACL, may konting kirot pa rin. So normal na lang yun (pain),” said Sotto.
Ten months since the injury, Sotto is back in the gym. He does shooting drills but contact basketball is not yet on the horizon.
“Hindi pa ako puwedeng mag-join sa team practices, pero may mga sariling program na ako pagdating sa core, sa weight room, sa rehab, pero hindi pa ako puwede sa team practices,” he said.
Sotto would have been an essential part of the country's FIBA campaign, but he would still have the capacity to help after coach Tim Cone asked him to join Gilas in the opening game against Guam on Nov. 28, where he would be the chief cheerleader.
The personal effort is well appreciated by the entire team andCone believes that when he gets well, this experience will help him assimilate quicky with Gilas.
Meantime, real basketball will have to wait. His friend, Edu, is hoping it will not be for long.
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