MANILA, Philippines: Even at a tender age of 21 years old, youthful Filipino slot man Kai Sotto has earned enough pro basketball experience overseas, which gave him the confidence to give a piece of advice to his Gilas teammate and La Salle superstar Kevin Quiambao.
In the close to two weeks the two have been together, starting with the Gilas training camp at Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna, the 7-foot-3 Sotto said he took the chance to interact with the reigning UAAP men's basketball Most Valuable Player.
"KQ (Quiambao's initials) probably is the most quiet guy on the (Gilas) team. I tried to talk to him, and he reached out and told me about his plans," Sotto bared to media men Sunday night at the close of the Philippines' campaign in the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers.
"I already experienced some of the options that he was telling me and I gave him my opinion."
Sotto said he's excited with the future that lis of ahead of the 6-foot-6 Quiambao, who has had a breakout season with La Salle last year that saw him lead the Green Archers to their first UAAP men's cage title since the 2016-17 season.
Sotto has played for the Adelaide 36ers in the Australian NBL from 2021-23, an NBA Summer League stint with the Orlando Magic last year and now, serves as an Asian import for the Yokohama B-Corsairs in the Japan B.League.
While he didn't go into detail as far as Quiambao's plans are concerned, he said he believes the La Salle star is "pro ready."
"I'm excited for him. He's pro-ready already. He's a very smart player. He works hard, and I'm very excited for his next step," shared Sotto.
The La Salle wingman cemented his superstar status after registering all-around numbers of 14.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and two blocks, en route to being named the Finals Most Valuable Player after leading the Green Archers to a 2-1 series win over the University of the Philippines.
Quiambao's stellar effort in the UAAP this past season opened the door for him to play for Strong Group under coach Charles Tiu last January.
In fact, his excellent showing for Strong Group in the Dubai International Basketball Championship drew the attention of the United Arab Emirates, which reportedly issued an offer to make him UAE's naturalized player.
Quiambao's meteoric rise in basketball caught the attention of Gilas coach Tim Cone, who included him in the 12-man national pool.
The sweet-shooting Filipino forward averaged 12.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 17.2 minutes of play in Gilas' two-game sweep of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers where the Philippines defeated Hong Kong and Taiwan.