EVEN as he prepares for his second season with the Adelaide 36ers in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL), Kai Sotto doesn't lose sight of his ultimate goal of becoming the first homegrown Filipino player in the NBA.
"I can't sleep at night without remembering the fact that I didn’t get drafted," he told 10 News First Adelaide.
But rather than dwell on not being picked in the 2022 NBA Draft, the 7-foot-3 center is using it as a motivation to push harder in the hope of making his NBA dream come true.
"That's why I’m here today in the NBL. That’s what keeps me going. It gave me a better sense of direction. Now I know what to do," he said.
Sotto will get a brief opportunity to advance those goals as Adelaide heads to the US for a pair of NBLxNBA games.
[READ: Kai Sotto impresses coach with solid preseason play]
The 36ers will face the Phoenix Suns led by Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and DeAndre Ayton on Monday, before heading to Louisiana to face the Oklahoma City Thunder led by Aussie guard Josh Giddey on Friday.
It's a prospect that excites Sotto and he promises to give nothing but his best to impress scouts in the lead-up to the Adelaide's NBL campaign.
"It's a dream come true to play in an NBA environment, NBA teams, NBA court, NBA fans," said the Filipino big. "I’m pretty excited."
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