Kai

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Kai Sotto was born on May 11, 2002, in Las Piñas, Philippines, to Ervin and Pamela Sotto. He began playing basketball at age four and grew up idolizing Tim Duncan, June Mar Fajardo, and Kristaps Porziņģis. He played high school basketball for the Ateneo Blue Eaglets, leading them to a UAAP Season 80 championship in 2017–18, where he averaged 17 points, 13 rebounds, and 6.3 blocks in the finals series, winning Finals MVP. In his final season, UAAP Season 81 (2018–19), he averaged 25.1 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game and won the season MVP award. In March 2019, he left Ateneo as a third-year high school student to move to the United States, continuing his studies at the Miami School in Hamilton, Ohio, and graduating in April 2021. He joined The Skill Factory in Atlanta, Georgia, on November 9, 2019, and was named MVP of the King Invitational tournament on January 21, 2020, averaging 27 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.3 blocks, and three assists. On May 13, 2020, he signed with NBA G League Ignite, forgoing college eligibility. He later signed with the Adelaide 36ers on April 21, 2021, as a Special Restricted Player, making his professional debut on December 18, 2021. He declared for the 2022 NBA draft but went undrafted. He joined the Hiroshima Dragonflies on February 7, 2023, was loaned to the Yokohama B-Corsairs on December 28, 2023, and signed with the Koshigaya Alphas on June 21, 2024. On January 5, 2025, he tore his left ACL and was expected to be sidelined for at least six months. He returned on January 24, 2026, but suffered a right ankle injury on February 1.

In Their Own Story

On October 12, 2024, Sotto recorded his first double-double for the Koshigaya Alphas—18 points and a then career-high 15 rebounds in a 65–87 loss to the Ryukyu Golden Kings. On October 26, he played a career-high 40 minutes and set a then career-high 18 rebounds in a double-overtime loss to the Sendai 89ers (87–78). He suffered a sprained left ankle in Koshigaya's 80–67 win over Nagasaki Velca on November 6, which ended the Alphas' six-game losing streak. He returned for the next game on November 9, defeating his former team, the Yokohama B-Corsairs, 80–72, but was put under concussion protocols after an inadvertent blow to the head from Damien Inglis. On January 5, 2025, Sotto tore his left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in a 79–77 loss to the SeaHorses Mikawa, sidelining him for at least six months. After a year-long absence, he returned on January 24, 2026, during the Alphas' 83–81 win over the Ibaraki Robots, logging only 10 minutes before landing awkwardly after an attempted block and suffering a right ankle injury.

Reader's Guide

Kai Sotto is a 7 ft 3 in center who last played for the Koshigaya Alphas of the Japanese B.League. He is tied with Raul Dillo as the tallest Filipino professional basketball player ever, and they are the second-tallest Filipino men behind William Biscocho (7 ft 4 in). Sotto's professional career began with the Adelaide 36ers in the NBL, where he averaged 7.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in 15 minutes per game in his debut season and was voted NBL Fans MVP in an online poll. He won back-to-back Fans MVP awards in the NBL. In the B.League, he recorded a career-high 28 points on March 30, 2024, in an 81–75 loss to Alvark Tokyo while playing for the Yokohama B-Corsairs. He also set career highs in rebounds (18) and minutes (40) on October 26, 2024, for the Alphas. Sotto has represented the Philippines national team in the Under-17 and Under-19 Basketball World Cups and the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Did You Know?

• Kai Sotto is tied with Raul Dillo as the tallest Filipino professional basketball player ever, at 7 ft 3 in (2.21 m).
• He won back-to-back NBL Fans MVP awards in an online poll during his two seasons with the Adelaide 36ers.
• Sotto scored a career-high 28 points on March 30, 2024, in an 81–75 loss to Alvark Tokyo while on loan to the Yokohama B-Corsairs.
• He tore his left ACL on January 5, 2025, and was sidelined for at least six months, returning on January 24, 2026.
• Sotto played high school basketball for the Ateneo Blue Eaglets, winning the UAAP Season 80 championship and Finals MVP in 2017–18.