Coach Tim Cone always considers Kai Sotto a difference-maker or a game-changer whether he sees action for Gilas Pilipinas or not.
That alone makes Sotto feel valued as he makes his comeback for Gilas Pilipinas in the fourth window of the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers against Jordan and Iran.
‘It’s a huge thing for any player to have the coach’s trust,’ Sotto said. ‘I’m thankful to Coach Tim for trusting me a lot and that he’s always grateful that I’m part of the team.’
WE WERE JUMPING FOR JOY WHEN HE DECIDED TO JOIN US
Cone mentioned how the team was ‘jumping for joy’ when the 7-foot-3 agreed to take part in the crucial window, which Gilas needs to probably sweep in order to at least stay within distance of the race for the four World Cup slots in Group E.
Sotto hasn’t played since November 2024, when he put up a big performance that helped Gilas secure a breakthrough win over New Zealand in the Asia Cup Qualifiers.
An ACL injury while playing in the B.League months ago kept him out of subsequent windows and the 2025 Asia Cup in Saudi Arabia, as well as the first three windows of the World Cup qualification.
Initially, it appears Sotto has plans other than Gilas. The past few months have seen Sotto play in a so-called ‘Family League’ from one court after another in his hometown of Las Piñas.
Then there’s also the possibility that Sotto may play in the US NCAA, one of the pathways for his NBA dream.
Cone initially ruled Sotto out before he showed up on the first day of Gilas practice.
‘It just so happened that I’m fully healthy and it’s the offseason and I have nothing else to do,’ Sotto said. ‘And then we got to talk to Coach Tim, the management and team, and then CJ [Perez’s] back and Kuya June Mar [Fajardo’s] probably playing his last window.
‘So it’s just fortunate that all things have aligned that we are able to come together for this opportunity,’ he added.