Following his FIBA World Cup debut, Kai Sotto reflected on his journey and expressed gratitude for his supporters. On Instagram, he penned a hopeful letter as he looked forward to more opportunities for Gilas Pilipinas.
“From dreams, to reality! People who never wore this Pilipinas jersey will never understand the difficulties, pressure, and the sacrifices we made. But also can’t compare to the fun and joy we experienced after it all ended,” [sic] he wrote.
The Gilas Pilipinas player thanked the country for the support, which he said gave them more strength during the competition. He added, “What an experience for me despite all the hate and distractions, I still got a lot of positives from all of this.”
View this post on Instagram
Sotto recalled dreaming of playing in the World Cup when he was younger and emphasized that he’s proud to become part of it.
“Little Kai thought this World Cup would be the peak basketball that I would play in, but now, after all of it, I’m confident and excited to say there’s still way more to it along the way,” he continued.
Although Gilas Pilipinas ended up 24th out of 32 participating countries with a 1-4 record, Sotto remained optimistic for the team.
Photo: Kai Sotto
The 21-year-old concluded, “I hate talking about the future but this time I’m looking forward to it, Pilipinas is only gonna get better #markmywords.”
ALSO READ: Filipino basketball prodigy Kai Sotto gets his official NBA G League gear
Sotto averaged six points and four rebounds in 14 minutes in five games and played his best game against China, earning 12 points and six rebounds. He will not participate in the Asian Games roster, but he’s set to play for the Hiroshima Dragonflies in the B.League in Japan.
~
