OKINAWA – Kai Sotto has seen it all.
The memes. The clickbait titles to the YouTube clips. All those “ginulat” videos. Every single on.
Honestly speaking, Sotto has gotten so accustomed to those that he can say he has grown a thick skin whenever he sees those pop up in his timeline.
“Nasanay na rin ako eh,” he said. “Lagi kong nakikita sa internet.”
READ Pinoy-led Asia All-Stars overwhelm Rising Stars, 127-115
Every twist and turn to his still young career as he chased his NBA dream, from Australia to Japan, there’s a big chance that a “ginulat” video is ready to be posted no matter how good, or bad, Sotto performed.
“Kung ano mang gawin ko, nakakagulat daw,” the 21-year-old sighed.
But that might just be part of the territory when, unfairly or not, you were anointed as the future of Philippine basketball. Everything Kai did, great or not, comes under the microscope.
Of course, it got the clicks. That’s why there’s a big chance your favorite content creator has done such, one way or the other. And you can’t blame them.
Yet to the 7-foot-3 giant, all of that is just outside noise now as he focuses on what matters: his own personal hoops journey.
WATCH:
“Kakalipat ko lang din sa bagong team, so I think I just want to help my team win more games,” said Sotto, who was loaned by the Hiroshima Dragonflies to the Yokohama B-Corsairs.
It helps that he has recovered from the back injury that has hounded him last year, including the 2023 Fiba Basketball World Cup.
“Ok na yung likod ko. Two-and-a-half to three months ako nag-rehab at nagpalakas and now, confident na ako sa lagay ng katawan ko,” he said.
“I think yung coach ko sa Yokohama, may minutes restriction sa akin kasi naiilang pa siya ng konti pero sinasabi ko sa kanya na ok na ako. I just want to stay healthy at walang injury kasi mahirap maglaro ng may iniinda.”
He added: “So I want to get better every single day and enjoy. Now that I’m back to normal, I think I’m in better shape than before.”
As for those who continue to make a profit off of Sotto’s name on social media, he has a better title that he offers for them to post, one with a grin, of course: “Kai Sotto, ginulay ang munggo.” /RSL
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
