KAI Sotto may have been compared by his Ignite coach Brian Shaw to a Nikola Jokic, but they're certainly studying another big man who the Filipino wunderkind can model his game after.
"I’m like Pau Gasol who’s more all-around," Sotto said. "He can score pass, can defend, can dribble, and can shoot."
Sotto shared that Shaw as well as Ignite deputy coach Rasheed Abdul-Rahman, have been studying clips of Gasol back in his prime with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Chicago Bulls.
Shaw worked with Gasol when he was an assistant coach to Phil Jackson in the Lakers from 2005 to 2011. They won two NBA titles together in 2009 and 2010.
"He’s a player that I watch with coach Shaw and coach Rasheed. We’ve been watching clips of him in the Lakers and the Bulls on how they play and execute the triangle," he said.
Gasol is certainly someone Sotto can emulate.
The 7-foot-1 Spaniard is a six-time All-Star and twice a member of the All-NBA Second and Third Teams, as well as winning the 2002 NBA Rookie of the Year.
His prowess has also been felt in the international stage, where he led Spain to the gold medal of the 2006 Fiba World Championship (now World Cup). He was named as the tournament MVP.
He also helped Spain capture golds in Eurobasket in 2009, 2011, and 2015, and was named MVP in the 2009 staging in Poland and the 2015 edition in France.
Sotto can pick up bits and pieces of Gasol's game as he bids to become the first homegrown Filipino player to be drafted in the NBA.
"It's a little harder, especially for me coming out of high school to go to the pros, but that's one of the commitments my family made," he said, determined as ever as he begins his NBA G League career with Ignite.
"It's going to be harder as soon as I get here and I'm up for the challenge. It's gonna be more tough in the NBA, so better get used to it and get better each day so that I will be ready."
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