KAI Sotto has yet to achieve his dreams of making it to the NBA, but this early, the Filipino wunderkind is ready to pay it forward.
The 7-foot-2 center is set to open Kaiju Academy, a sports academy that "teaches young athletes to play 'like a beast' on the court and to be amazing men and women off the court, at Spooky Nook Sports Champion Mill Complex in Hamilton, Ohio.
"It is a dream come true to mentor young athletes globally," the 18-year-old said in a Forbes report. "Kaiju is the Japanese term for monster, beast, strange creature, and it perfectly captures the ideal basketball competitor that I aim to be. Basketball isn’t easy and sometimes, it will knock you down more than it builds you up. I wanted my brand and my Academy to be about resilience.
"I want young men and young women to get the right experience, development, exposure and mentorships to become their best true self both mentally and physically and create an ecosystem of Kaijus that is healthy for all athletes and their families."
The Kaiju Academy will be housed in Spooky Nook, a 1.3 million-square-foot sports facility under construction which is set to open in late 2021 and is touted to be the largest indoor sports complex in North America.
It will feature "more than 20 basketball courts as well as football fields, indoor rock climbing wall, indoor track oval, batting cages, training staff and on-site hotel. It is the only venue expansive enough to accommodate basketball players from amateur to pro with passion as intense as their skills."
"It’s what I want my legacy to be and it’s imbedded deep in my soul," said Sotto. "I want to give back to both young men and young women around the world who want to better themselves and reach their athletic dreams."
Sotto is currently bracing for his NBA G League debut with Team Ignite, where he'll team up with some of the top high school recruits in the United States led by Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Isaiah Todd, and Daishen Nix.
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