KAI Sotto is wasting no time honing his skills as he continues his training in Miami.
But deep inside his 7-foot-3 frame is still an 18-year-old kid who is in disbelief of the opportunity he's getting as he gets to workout with former NBA players.
Just take his interaction last week with Amar'e Stoudemire where Sotto couldn't stop himself from being a fanboy to the six-time NBA All-Star.
"Unang sinabi ko sa kanya is nung mas bata pa ako, binigay na birthday gift ng dad ko yung isang libro niya, Standing Tall and Talented. Kwinento ko yun sa kanya at tuwang-tuwa siya," he said with a chuckle on Wednesday in a roundtable discussion hosted by Smart.
Stoudemire's series of children's books was released from 2012 to 2014 and shared his stories of discovering his innate talent and overcoming obstacles to become the player that he was -- the 2003 NBA Rookie of the Year and a 14-year NBA veteran -- and now a player development assistant for the Brooklyn Nets.
Sotto sure learned a few lessons from reading those books, which he was delighted to share with the author himself.
"Sobrang gandang feeling lang na galing sa Pilipinas, binasa ko lang yung libro niya, at napapanood ko lang siya sa YouTube at sa TV dati, at nung nakita ko siya in person, di ko sinayang yung opportunity na yun na sabihin sa kanya yun," said the new Adelaide 36er signee.
"Sobrang saya ko nung time na yun kaya di ko rin makakalimutan yung moment na kasama ko siya."
But it's not just Stoudemire as Sotto also got to sweat it out with the likes of former NBA players Brandon Knight and Greg Monroe, and ex-PBA imports Lester Prosper and Elijah Millsap under the watch of trainer Stanley Remy.
"I've been playing with those guys ever since last week. That has been very memorable para sa akin kasi yung time ko sa Miami, sobrang nage-enjoy ako dito. To get that kind of competition every day, sobrang blessed ako to have that opportunity," he said.
Truth be told, it's an overwhelming endeavor for Sotto to have, not just to train with the caliber of these players, but to also have these multitudes of opportunities, first in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL), and also with Gilas Pilipinas.
Yet through it all, all he's thinking about is to put himself on the position to be at his best whatever endeavors may come his way in the future.
"May part sa akin na sobrang excited, kinakabahan, at happy. Sobrang dami ng magiging mangyayari sa future ko," he said. "Pero after nitong lahat ng ito, mag-stay pa rin ako, mag-focus sa sarili kong path to continue developing, to continue on improving para maging ready ako sa mga susunod na challenges."
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